REDEMPTION: To Be Family
by Kkornelia
Summary: PostGSD CE 75. Silver hair and bright blue eyes have always been a Joule family trait. Imagine Yzak's shock when he runs into someone else with the same qualities. A little girl, not on PLANTs but on Earth! SEQUEL UP
1. Lovely Lady

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny.

**A/N:** Yes, yes. I know Yzak is better off with Shiho or Dearka or Yzak is better off never having a sweetheart in his life. I just thought it would be nice to have something different once in a while.

I dedicate this chapter and whatever future chapters to all the few YzakxFlay fans out there. YzakxFlay is such a lonely -ship. Aren't I right? =)

I apologize for bad grammar.

**Rated - T **for language and themes.

" " for speech  
_Italic for flashbacks, thoughts, and opinions._

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 1: Lovely Lady**

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Cosmic Era 75 is the year of reconstruction and reparation. It has been over a year since the second war ended between Naturals and Coordinators. Contemplating for the sacrifices of those who have been lost, mostly everyone from all over earth and space seems to be trying their best to get over what have been done. More others are trying their best to not repeat the same mistake of starting a new war. Some others however, never got over their racialist jealousy and there, of course, exists a few more others who still wishes for vengeance, but as for the time being, there exists peace.

ORB is slowly rebuilding its way back into the strong nation it once was while Earth is slowly regaining its perseverance, livelihood and prosperity. The same can be said about PLANTs.

After the death of Chairman Durandal, Lacus Clyne, once pop star diva, has been invited back to the PLANTs to serve as a mediator between ZAFT and the other nations in order to restore peace. Kira Yamato, former Freedom pilot and now one of ZAFT's Commandeering officers, decided to reunite with Lacus in PLANTs. The two have been happily married ever since.

Former Justice Pilot, Athrun Zala, on the other hand, decided to enlist in ORB military. And as present Admiral, he resolute to stay in ORB- close to- Cagalli Yula Athha, the still, Chief Representative and Lion of ORB Union. Apparently, nothing worthy of note has happen between the two.

Now Captain, Dearka Elsman has never gotten in touch with his former girlfriend, Miriallia Haw, ever since she dumped him, though he still gets upset about it once in awhile.

Still senior of the Joule squad, Shiho Hahnenfuss is the same as she was before- a highly intelligent officer and a loyal comrade.

Shinn Asuka, according to his seniors, is still a troublesome kid.

Ezalia Joule, since her retirement from the council, decided to invest in stock market.

And as for what happened to the rest of the Gundam Seed and Destiny cast is, apparently, none of Yzak Joule's business.

00000

"I speak for the entire council when I say: we appreciate the fact that you came all the way from PLANTs to negotiate peace in Lacus Clyne's stead, Mr. Joule. But unfortunately, we cannot sign this treaty."

"Please do not misunderstand our decision, Mr. Joule." The eldest on the congress explained. "It's not like Atlantic Federation does not wish for peace. The two consecutive wars have caused so many casualties to this nation, which is the sole reason why we have decided to take action of extreme cautiousness."

"How can we be certain another war will not happen? In order to accomplish the utmost understanding, we would like to discuss peace negotiations directly with Council Member Lacus Clyne and Lacus Clyne only as she is a PLANT supreme council and official mediator of ZAFT."

"I do respect everyone's decision. And as a person who has also experienced the many causalities of war, I understand the congress' concern for this nation. I have been personally appointed by Lacus Clyne herself as her surrogate. And I assure all of you that what ever treaty signed today in this very room will holdout and be kept for years to come."

As Yzak stood in front of everyone in the wide room, he could see the entire congress murmuring to each other as they decided to discuss the matter amongst their own, then stop.

"We will discuss peace negotiation when Lacus Clyne is ready to discuss matters with us personally."

"But Lacus Clyne is on maternal leave. That would take months!" Yzak argued. By then, who knows what can happen. A rebellion or a third war maybe? Not everyone seems to be satisfied with just two wars. Yzak did not want to take any chances.

"Then there is nothing else to discuss about."

_That was it?_ Yzak furrowed his brow. The audience was a stubborn one. Voicing out reason to this crowd was futile.

As the representatives stood up from their distinctive chairs preparing to make their leave, with respect, Yzak, who hid his displeasure well, calmly bowed his head. "Thank you for your time." And with that, the representatives nodded back and left except one, the eldest one- Mr. J.E Grant.

Sensing Yzak's discomfort about the result of the meeting, the old man decided to approach the young Coordinator on his own. He picked up one of the many files Yzak had been collecting roughly all over the large conference table.

He held out the document towards Yzak's direction, returning it to him. "Young man, there is no need to worry." The man started causing Yzak to look at him stunned. Yzak had expected everyone gone by then. "Unfortunately, war can cause sufferings and it has the tendency to bring out the worst in people. But let me tell you this: time changes and so do people. This nation is not so eager to experience another war." The old man was smiling to him so kindly like he was looking at his son through him. "Trust between nations is the first step to peace. Fancy documents with signatures are nothing but pieces of papers. Trust this nation to trust yours. That is the only way to experience true peace."

Yzak's sapphire blue eyes followed the man as he calmly made his way towards the exit.

But as he was about to disappear, "how old are you now? Twenty. Twenty-five?" The man shook his head guessing with disappointment. "Yet, you are already doing jobs that should be handled by adults twice your age."

00000

The wide door to the conference room bursts open signifying the end of discussion. When Yzak and the rest of Earth Alliance's National Legislative body left the next room, Dearka stood outside waiting for his best friend.

The moment Dearka spotted Yzak already making his way to the exit in a really bad mood, his immediate reaction was to follow suit after him. "So, I'm guessing the negotiation didn't go well."

"It was a complete waste of time!" Yzak growled. "This is the last time I'm filling-in for any of the Council Members! If they wanted to directly negotiate with Lacus, then they should have said so before sending us here all the way from PLANT!" Yzak ranted, grabbing his overcoat from Dearka and putting it on.

"Aw, come on. Maybe its not that all bad." Dearka tried lightening up the mood. "Look at it this way. Now you have an extra two days to freely tour the city. Think of it as a two day vacation on Earth."

"Do I look like the type of person who wants to go on vacation!" No. That was certainly not a question. "Taxi!"

A cab pulled over. Yzak told the driver the name of the hotel they were staying in and entered the vehicle with Dearka following suit behind him.

Leaning an arm on the window seat, "_everybody_ says you need a vacation though even Lacus agrees."

Yzak crossed his arm. "And who is this _everybody_?" These lucky people will certainly have the pleasure of feeling the wrath of Yzak Joule once he gets back to PLANTs.

Dearka sighed. "Look, Yzak. It's not like I want to agree with _everybody,_ but you have been going against orders by not taking your official days off. What is it that you do everyday that makes you so busy? What is it that is so important that you don't even bother taking days off anymore? Yzak, the war is over. We no longer need to stay on patrol twenty-four seven."

"Well, unlike some people, I take my job seriously."

It was now Dearka's turn to glare at him.

"You know what? Fine. Do whatever you want. I hope you burn yourself out!" _Sometimes, Yzak is just too stubborn for his own good._ Dearka turn his face towards his side of the window when he was struck with an idea- "Pull over!" He ordered before quickly stepping out from the cab.

_Was he upset?_ Yzak thought. _Crap. Is this a silent treatmen__t? _Normally, Dearka would follow him around and bitch if his mad but this...

"Dearka, what on earth are you doing? Get back in the cab or I'm leaving you behind!" Yzak yelled out the door. But when Dearka didn't return, pissed, Yzak paid the cab and was forced to step down from the vehicle.

Yzak found that Dearka was on his way to an open space park located just on the other side of the road. There were playgrounds, hiking, running and mixed use trails or paths, bridle paths, sports field and courts, public restrooms, boat ramps and picnic facilities.

Dearka breathed in, looking up at the row of trees, appreciating its magnificence and the greens around it. "Isn't earth refreshing, Yzak? PLANT is like a miniature garden compared here." Dearka started when he had noticed his friend nearing him.

Dearka's comment, however, made Yzak raised a dark eyebrow at him. But despite that fact, the two eventually went for a stroll.

"It's not like I'm bad mouthing PLANTs or anything." Dearka chuckled. For a second there, he could have sworn Yzak looked offended. "I mean, PLANTs is my home even if it's in the darkness of empty where people can't live. That is what we've worked so hard to build, a nation that belongs to only us."

"Then so what is this nonsense about PLANTs being a miniature garden?" Yzak snapped back; he seems to be in a really bad mood today.

"Back in the first war, after landing on earth, I found myself thinking... that it's only right for people should be living in these surroundings." Dearka stated as a breezed passed them. "I mean, the smell of the earth; the sighing wind; the sparkling water! Don't these make you feel more relax?" Dearka encouraged.

"We have all those in PLANTs."

"Yeah, but not as natural."

"What are you trying to say?" Yzak threatened.

Suddenly, Dearka's plan of manipulating Yzak into wanting a vacation was going down the drain. "You're not listening, Yzak," more or less trying to appreciate the surrounding they were in.

"You Coordinators go back to where you came from!" A random civilian spat directly at them before quickly running away out of sight.

"So you were saying?" Yzak tucked his hand in his overcoat as he and Dearka continued to stroll.

"Okay, so earth isn't exactly paradise for Coordinators, but you cannot deny the fact- its nice strolling around these areas." From the corner of his eyes, Dearka made a quick glance at Yzak's pokerfaced expression. "Seriously, Yzak, don't you feel anything different?"

"If I said I did, will you shut up about earth's atmosphere being so nice?"

All too sudden, from behind, there came a childish scream. "No Wufei, come back!"

"Hey you two, watch out!" Screamed another civilian.

Unsure whether the scream was directed at them, Yzak and Dearka turned their heads to their backs anyway. And before they knew it- charging towards them was a gigantic blue dog with pointy ears; in its mouth was a hat of the softest pastel colors. It has a large down turned fine straw brim and featuring a large pale pink silk rose as the front detail. Basically, it was one of those hats ladies wore in spring.

Being Coordinators with great reflexes, Yzak and Dearka managed to jump out of the way. But unlike Yzak, Dearka took the time to seize the dog while at it. Dearka grabbed onto the leash attached to the dog's harness and pulled, quite similar the how people halt horses.

And for a really big dog, surprisingly it didn't put up a fight and obeyed instantly, and stopped. The dog turned to look at his current handler then to the guy next to him, and wagged its tail a couple of times as if wanting to play. Then as it was about to bark, the dog suddenly disregarded the hat on its jaw by loosening its grip on it. Instead, it let the swift wind takeover by letting it blow away.

Acting fast, "Yzak, hold the dog. I'm going after the hat." Dearka passed the rope.

"What!" But before Yzak could actually react and say how stupid that was, Dearka was already running. "Dearka!" Yzak yelled, telling him to come back.

"Fine looking hat equals fine looking lady!" Dearka yelled back. He waved a hand for a sec and continued his chase for the pastel pink hat.

_That darn idiot!_ Yzak snarled. Unwilling dragged into this crazy chase, he then dropped his gazed unto the leash Dearka have impulsively placed on his hand to the huge dog attached to it. What stunned him was not the size. No. It was definitely not the size of the dog but rather the way the dog was staring up at him with sheer playfulness that made it seem like it would pounce on him any minute. Yzak responded by glaring back. It's not like he was not fond of animals but... "Don't you even dare."

00000

Despite his enhanced speed and reflexes, chasing after a hat being blown away by the shifting the wind has proven to be a difficult task. On the bright side, Dearka enthusiastic concluded, they don't usually have these kind of adventures up in PLANTs.

When the pale hat flew over the large pond, in order to retrieve it, Dearka jumped high sailing over the large body of water as well. This crazy stunt of his not only caught him the hat but also the eyes of civilian all over the park.

And just as Dearka was about to reach water, he threw the hat to dry land before falling into it with a _splash_.

Approximately one minutes later, Dearka resurfaced for air. And the first thing Dearka noticed on his way up was Yzak's silver hair and blue eyes over at the dock to where he had previously thrown the hat earlier on, and thus he swam over.

Noticing the unusual smile on his best friend's face, _Yzak turned to be unexpectedly cheery, _Dearka thought surprised.

"Yzak, where's the dog?"

"I'm over here, you idiot." Yzak retorted causing Dearka to surprisingly shift his head, redirecting his gaze across the area behind him. Yzak was standing on the other side of the pond. In his hand, was the leash still attaching him to the Great Dane, next to him, that seems to be wagging its tail all excited.

A bit confused, Dearka blinked a couple of times. He wanted to rub his eyes clear if he could. "But if your over there then who-?" Dearka broke of, turning back his attention once more to the person leaning over the dock; her head hovering his over water. Squinting for a better look, the person above him was not Yzak alright but a little girl, Dearka soon realized.

"Thank you for saving my hat, mister!" The little girl smiled.

00000

No sooner than later, Dearka climbed out from the water and back on dry land.

Sitting on green grass and still wet from his recent swim, "man, she is definitely not the fine lady I was hoping to meet." Dearka said to Yzak while wiping his ears clear of water.

With one hand still on the dog leash, Yzak snarled. "Well, who were you expecting? A voice as shrill like the one we heard earlier would obviously belong to a child."

"I was expecting a real babe of course." Dearka replied bluntly.

Yzak rolled his eyes. He should have expected this from Dearka.

"Hey, but Yzak, don't you think that little girl strangely resembles you a lot?" Dearka was referring to the little girl he had mistakenly address as Yzak earlier at the pond.

Yzak turned to take another look at the girl, who was making her way to her dog.

The little girl had hair of the color of silver greatly similar to his; her big round eyes are the similar shade of blue like his; and her skin was no doubt as pale as his. The only difference was gender and the fact that she was roughly only three to four years old.

Hair color, skin color, eye color- the resemblance was uncanny. The little girl looked like family standing next to him. The thing is... She wasn't.

If Yzak was not so sane, he would have sworn this girl looks a lot like his mother when the woman was a whole lot younger. _Did people start messing around with genes again or worst; could this be cloning?_

Because Yzak was certain that no one, not even in PLANTs, other than him and his mother had silver hair, blue eyes and skin as white in one package. It's a Joule family trait. Especially, the hair color!

When Yzak hadn't said a word, Dearka took this as a- yes, it's strange.

"Aw... Wufei, don't scare me like that again!" The little girl whined, wrapping her arms around the large animal, whom seemed quite happy about the embrace.

"So little girl, what's your name?" Dearka asked casually since his priority of changing into dry clothes doesn't seem possible at the moment.

Yzak on the other hand, simply stood there on the side. No doubt he was listening.

The little girl raised her head at him. She blinked a couple of times, looking pretty much unsure if she should be talking to this man. "Mama said, I shouldn't be talky to strangers." She answered innocently.

Taken aback, Dearka faked hurt. "Is that how to treat the guy who saved your hat?"

This made the little girl think for a moment. She then turned her attention to Yzak causing Dearka to add.

"And does he look strange to you?" Dearka pointed to Yzak with his thumb. "I mean, the two of you have the same hair color. Your eyes are both blue. And look at your skin color." Dearka purposely paused for a moment giving the girl time to think before deciding to continue. "See. We're not strangers." Dearka smiled.

Yzak rolled his eyes at Dearka's way of communicating with kids, yet, silently, he admired how Dearka's quick brain works. _This way, they might even find out why this little girl looks the way she does. _

"My name is Dearka and the grumpy one over there is Yzak. So what's your name?"

Convinced with Dearka's simple theory, "Kaitlyn." The girl replied.

"So Kaitlyn, where is your father?" Dearka decided to continue.

"Mama said, Papa died fighting a war." Kaitlyn lowered.

"And your mother?"

The little girl scanned the area; suddenly realizing the fact that she had been separated from her mother and has no idea where she was. And her eyes were slowly growing red from the upcoming tears when it just stopped.

"Kaitlyn, honey, where are you?" A worried sound of a woman called out.

Simply by hearing the woman's voice, the little girl replied quickly as if it was the most natural thing to do. "Mama!"

When at last, the woman had caught up with her daughter, there were two stunned faces as they gaped at what appeared before them: a profile of a stunning sophisticated lady. Her eyes were covered beneath a lovely sisal broad brim hat with a two color organza bow and feathers; underneath was a great massive torrent of smooth red colored hair flowing dramatically with the wind.

The woman was outrageously curved with large firm breast. And she looked completely striking... no... ethereal in her long halter dress. The dress fitted her body tightly about the bodice; the waist snug, revealing its slimness. The skirt was a soft bell that swayed gently when she walked. She even added length to her long legs with towering platform heels.

When Yzak looked up and saw the woman, he had no idea who she was. It was a full minute before he realized that she was Kaitlyn's mother then Dearka broke into a grin, smiling triumphantly.

Dearka nudged the transfixed Yzak. "There's no way you can call a woman as gorgeous like that- mother."

Yzak flinched. _Dearka was right_. Normally, Yzak wouldn't even catch himself dead staring at women! But this woman was indeed very beautiful. And at close view, Yzak thought she was even more striking.

Quickly, the woman ran to her daughter and embraced the girl with absolute relief. "Thank goodness, you're all right."

The girl kept her smiling face. "I'm okay mama. They saved my hat and Wufei." She pointed towards the two male's direction causing the lady to finally take notice of the two strangers behind her little girl.

"Thank you for keeping my daughter and dog safe." The woman made a graceful bow thanking them both. And when she raised her gaze to meet theirs- angelite blue-grays met with sapphire blue and amethyst purple; and all the color drained off from both Yzak and Dearka's faces as though they had seen a ghost.

And there flashed across their minds events they each knew so well. Dearka remembered her as the insane girl who once tried to shoot a bullet through his head. Yzak on the other hand, remembered her as the annoying, confused, frightened and insecure brat Commander La Creuset had brought aboard the Vesalius.

In a gasp of thought, there was no mistaking it- this lady was the very same misunderstood girl who was simply caught in the conflict of the first war. The very girl who had supposedly died too. Only, Flay Allster was standing in front of them very much alive and with a child!

And from the looks on Flay's reaction, seeing Yzak and Dearka in these parks seem to have shock her greatly as well.

Time seem to have frozen that very moment. The cool wind that had passed through appeared to have turned ten times sharper. It was a complete blow on the head, knocking answers to questions they never thought to ask.

Suddenly, why that little girl looked a lot like him suddenly made sense to Yzak. Never in his young life had he imagined something like this would happen; and the silver haired Coordinator never felt so outraged in his entire life.

What he did next never even came to him, seeing that Yzak have strode forward on impulse, unconsciously dragging the dog still leashed around his tightened fist.

Seizing Flay's arm with his free hand,

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!"


	2. Oh Where Was Love

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 2: Oh Where Was Love**

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_Anger was written all over Yzak's face when he had looked Flay in the eyes and demanded her for an explanation. "It's shocking enough that you're alive! But why haven't you told me about the child? I would have-!"_

"_What?" Flay snapped back, shaking her bowed head. "What would you have done?" _

_Her words alone jolted through Yzak like a physical blow, hard enough to have caused even Yzak's usual quick brain to falter, rendering him completely speechless. If this woman had really told him about the child… What would he have done? He never really thought THAT over! Yzak growled. And this simple fact has agitated him even more._

_The world seemed to shift around them. Yzak and Flay stood facing each other with nothing more left to say. Dearka stood quietly behind Yzak, taking everything in. Kaitlyn stood next to her mother, quietly wondering why the woman was yelling strange things at the man with silver hair. Suddenly, Yzak noticed how cold it was._

_And then Flay diverted her hazy blue-gray eyes away from Yzak's piercing blue ones and breathed in. "Forget about it." _

_At that very moment, nothing else seems to have been more confusing._

"_It's in the past. Please, just- just turn around and leave. Pretend none of this has happened." Flay told him. "We never crossed path. You never saw me or my daughter. Please, just go." Flay turn her back to him. "Come now, Kaitlyn," She took her daughter by the hand then her dog, and as simple as that, walked way. _

_Turning her head back for one last look, "Bye bye, mister!" Kaitlyn waved and soon all three: mother, daughter, and dog disappeared into the distance._

00000

Earth News never seemed to be more non-existent to Yzak Joule as he stared blankly at their hotel suite's television screen.

Apparently, he could not help but still linger on the memory— of running into Flay Allster earlier that day. And that particular scene played over and over in his head like a broken record, only ten times more frustrating.

Yzak could clearly recall how Flay's quivering eyes met his. He heard her rasping breath; felt it on his face. She had shouted, "get away! Don't touch me!" when she had pulled away from him; as if he would infect her with some Coordinator disease as soon as he had touched her; as if she had seen a monster. Perhaps, that was what she had seen when she looked at him. And he could not blame her.

Lounging on a sofa, "you know what? Somehow I'm no longer surprise that that Flay girl is still alive." Dearka started, noticing Yzak twitch every now and then. "I mean, look at Andrew Waltfeld and Mu La Flaga. Everyone saw them blow up, but they both turned out okay."

At this, Yzak said nothing. Right now, Flay Allster being alive was the least of his concerns.

"You know…" Dearka said wondering. "I've known about Flay Allster being brought aboard the Vesalius, but I would never have imagined the two of you would hook-up." Dearka paused before deciding to intentionally shift his attention to Yzak. "Is there something you'd like to share with me?" He smiled a sly smile at the male sitting across him, making the blond look like a nosy kid urging his best friend to tell him a humiliating secret.

Although as much of an understatement _humiliating_ was, what had happen between Flay Allster and Yzak Joule during the First Bloody Valentine War was indeed a secret. It was a story no one knew. A story, apparently, neither of them decided to share.

But now with Dearka being witness, was it even possible to keep the past an absolute secret? Yzak knew something like this would happen eventually. And until he gave the blond an answer, Dearka would pester him to no end.

Yzak pressed both his hands together into a tight squeeze. _The past has finally caught up with him. _Feeling as though he has been driven into a corner, Yzak remained silent in deep thought.

"Come on, Yzak. You know you can tell me." Dearka's grin grew wider as he continued to urge on. "So how did the two of you hook-up?" He was wiggling an eyebrow.

The reason why no one knew about THEM…._ Is because-_ Yzak closed his eyes then explained. "We didn't." Hook-up if that is how people call it.

Dearka forced himself not to laugh. Seriously, up until now, even after he, Dearka Elsman, had clearly seen the little girl, Kaitlyn, with his very own eyes. Yzak still tries to hide it. "Come on, Yzak. It's far too late for modesty. The proof is right there!"

Yzak shoved away from the table, away from the sofa, and paced the room three times in tight little circles trying to burn off his agitation. Yzak had purposely faced an opposing wall to avoid Dearka's curious yet eager expression. _How Pathetic!_ _He couldn't even look at his friend_, Yzak concluded. And then he told Dearka everything. And in telling the blond, brought it all back so clearly that guilt struck through him like knife jab into his stomach.

Yzak breathed in. "Iforcedmyselfonher."

"Oh, wait. My bad." Dearka chuckled and turned down the television volume just a little. "Can you repeat that?"

"I said, I forced myself on her!"

By now, the News on television has become nothing but gibberish in the background. And the air in the room seems to have grown unbearably thick all of the sudden. It was a heart stopper.

Dearka, the one who always has something to say, could not get even a constructive line out from shock. "You're kidding…"

Yzak did not need to answer that, for his face said it all.

Standing still, Yzak did not move from his post. "It was a mistake." He clenched his fist so tightly the veins stood out. "First, Rusty died, then Miguel, followed by Nicol, and then you went MIA. I was frustrated and she was there. It was simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time!"

"Yzak…"

"I'm not proud of what I did!" Yzak punched the wall. "I was enraged when I started out! I lost control and struck out with violence! And after the assault, I only felt disgusted!" Shaking with aggravation, Yzak had never felt so ashamed of himself in his entire life. Being unable to find the strength to stop, he continued. "After the war, when I found out Flay had been lost. I thought- maybe I could forget about what I have done and move on as if nothing had happened. No one would know! I have lived the last couple of years with that in mind."

All that time, Yzak had wondered if it had been his fault; if he had brought that terrible fate on Flay by wishing it on her.

Before Yzak could do anymore unnecessary damages to the wall, Dearka was already beside him, trying his best to calm him down yet Dearka's effort has been proven to be futile. He has not seen Yzak as agitated like this since the Blitz blew up.

Yzak slammed another fist to the wall. There was no point to deny it. "Kaitlyn is mine. There is no doubt about it." Yzak did not need to be told twice. He knew the girl was his. Some unwilling guy may have the option of denying the fact of impregnating women, but, apparently, he was not given that same opportunity. "The girl looks like a replica of my mother!" _Heavens, anyone with brains could tell!_

"Or you could say- she looks like you. if you were a girl." Dearka corrected causing the two males to look at each other in silence.

_He's right…._

If the ambiance could get any worst, Yzak didn't know the next step he should take and was now muttering a whole lot of bad words.

"If it would make the situation any easier, you don't really have to get yourself involve again. Things like this happen all the time. Furthermore, Flay Allster seems as if she does not want to be found anyway." Dearka reasoned, placing a hand on Yzak's shoulder, which Yzak shook off.

With this, Dearka moved his hand to his hip and scratched his head with the other and sighed_. This predicament would be a whole lot easier if the two really did hook-up in the first place,_ he thought to himself before he heard Yzak murmur_._

"I want to see her again."

Dearka was taken aback. "Who, Flay?"

"No. Kaitlyn! I need to know if she's doing all right." Yzak corrected. He wanted to know what kind of life he has put the little girl through. Was she happy? Was she healthy? What type of lifestyle does she have?

Dearka gave a simple nod. Yzak did not need to say more for he understood completely. Yzak felt responsible because despite the arrogance, the short temper, and that always I-don't-give-a-damn look on his face, Dearka knew Yzak was a good person deep down.

00000

Sunrise Court Kindergarten.

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"It's the nearest preschool in the area."

When Yzak and Dearka stepped out of the cab the next day looking around the particular environment, Dearka whistled, "nice looking neighborhood."

Looking around as well, Yzak, who does not share Dearka's same enthusiasm, remained unimpressed and impassive. _Hmph._ "Looks can be deceiving!"

The district they were in seems to be a clean and quiet looking neighborhood and the street was lined up with only a fair amount of shops. One is a bookstore. Next to it a toy store. A woman on the side was selling trinkets. Another was selling candies. Small stalls offered grilled octopus, fried squid balls, and omelets cooked on the spot.

Spotting Dearka buzzing around one of the stalls, half curious and half pissed, Yzak asked, "Dearka, what are you doing?"

Turning around to face Yzak from one of the stores, Dearka scratched his head in an awkward manner and laughed. "I promised the crew that I'll bring back souvenirs."

Yzak gritted his teeth. _How many times must he remind him?_ "Dearka, we are not on vacation! Why don't you just tell that crew of yours to go buy their own souvenirs!"

"Does it matter?" Dearka replied. "Negotiations have been cut short and you're here for personal matters as well." He pointed out causing Yzak to glare darkly at him. "Say… Why don't you go on ahead? I'll meet you back at the hotel."

Yzak threw a hand up, turned around and looked forward; his eyes catching a quick glimpse of the smiling sun emblem at the gates to the large educational facility in front of him. "Fine. Do what you want! Don't say I did not warn you if those crew of yours end up spoiled and lazy!" Yzak told Dearka. After all, he should not lose track of what he came here to do and went on his way.

Dearka simply laughed. "No worries, I won't."

00000

Yzak headed straight toward the colorful building, hoping it to be the right one. Today would be his last day on earth, thus there should be no room for mistake. All he has to do was make sure Kaitlyn was being properly taken care off, then he would at least have a small peace of mind when he returns to PLANT.

He shoved his hand into his pockets, walking moderately through the building. Yzak casually walk passed the parking lot; passing through a bunch of women on the waiting area, who giggled at the sight of him causing Yzak to roll his eyes in the process.

Picking up sounds of little children chanting and singing, it wasn't long before Yzak had found the classrooms. Occasionally, he would take a quick peek at the windows to observe the children learning their preschool phrases, taking naps, and munching on snacks; their plump giggling faces and the way they're running around chasing each other, for some strange reason, he had found it rather adorable.

That's when Yzak wanted to slap himself and quickly looked away. _Did he just think those children were actually_ _worthy of his adoration_? What he really meant to say was…. Errrr…. _Fine! _Yzak cringed and gave in. So what if he thought children were adorable? That doesn't change a thing!

Looking around further, Yzak concluded—the place to have a healthy and friendly enough environment_._ Now all he had to do was- find out whether there was a little girl named Kaitlyn Allster enrolled here and be done with it!

That was when the school bell rang, signifying the end of the kids' class hours.

Monitored by their educators, over sixty little kids came pacing out from their distinctive classroom, passing Yzak in the hallway. Some ran straight towards their guardians, waiting for them at the waiting area, while others headed straight to the yellow bus at the parking lot, which was suppose drive the kids home.

Then a woman in her early twenties sashayed towards Yzak, tripping along on her slippers. Yzak stepped back to let her pass. She looked at him, her jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide.

"Ah!" The woman gasped. She could tell right away. "You must be Kaitlyn's father." It was a sudden outburst but not necessarily loud. "I apologize, Sir. But I never knew Kaitlyn has a father."

To Yzak, this wasn't at all surprising. It's not like he had been there for Kaitlyn for years. The little girl's father was told to have passed away in the first war. And it's not like he and Flay were married.

"Oh, I was just on my way to give your wife a call but since you're here…" The woman looked thoughtful.

A flash of emotion crossed Yzak's face, and then vanished, leaving his expression grave. "Did something happen?"

The brunette woman shook her head. "Nothing that serious. But I'll gladly explain the situation on the way, if you would, please, come with me." The woman gestured Yzak to follow her, which he did.

The woman introduced herself as Ms. Brownyn of Class Banana, Kaitlyn's homeroom teacher, while touring Yzak around the facility. She had even explained what had been so urgent; and Yzak did not like what he was hearing, not one bit.

Apparently, some of the kids were teasing Kaitlyn about her graying hair. The only problem was- she retaliated back with physical violence. Well, whatever blow those _idiots_ got, they practically deserved it. Yzak could care less for those kids.

"Here at our school, we don't really tolerate _stereotypes_, but sometimes the kids… Pick things up from their parents….." Yzak could hear Ms. Brownyn hesitating to tell him more as they neared the school's inner playground.

Yzak stood to one side, watching. "So what would you like me to do?" Yzak asked the woman with his gaze drifted over towards the outdoors' play area.

"I was hoping that you would talk to your daughter." Ms. Brownyn turned her gaze towards the nearly empty playground as well- to where a little girl with silver hair sat alone by the swings, waiting for her parent to show just as she was told to- before turning her attention back to the male coordinator beside her. "I'll be leaving you two alone then." The educator opened the bar gates, allowing Yzak to step inside before deciding to take her leave a few minutes later.

The sole reason Yzak Joule came to this school was to find out whether or not a girl named Kaitlyn Allster was enrolled here. Stepping on moist grass while on his way towards the girl, only, he never would have imagined he would get to be alone with her.

By the swings, Yzak saw Kaitlyn rub her beady little eyes, and then sniffle.

"What's with the tears?" Yzak asked casually causing the little girl to look up at him. Yzak Joule had never been good at comforting people. And considering Kaitlyn had not run away after spotting him there. It would seem that Flay hasn't told Kaitlyn who he was or told her to stay away from him yet, Yzak concluded.

Kaitlyn brightened up but only a little. "Mister—"

"You can call me Uncle Yzak."

"Where's mama?"

"She won't be coming."

Kaitlyn frowned; she looked confused.

Yzak leaned on a nearby tree and crossed his arms. "I heard from your teacher that you were being picked on by the other kids…. Then got into a fight."

Kaitlyn's eyes burst into tears in an instant. "They were being so _sob_ mean!" She started to cry again. "They _sob_ said, I was _sob_ old! So I kicked _sob_ them! They made me _sob _do it!" That's children for you; they were completely honest.

Yzak shrugged. He could actually relate to her, for he too used to be picked on by kids for his hair color. He had gotten into many fights because of it. But that was a long time ago.

Every minute, Yzak became more aware of the way Kaitlyn's sobs echoed the yard and into his ears. At that very moment, Yzak wanted to do something for her. This was his little girl after all. She seems so fragile. He wanted to wipe the tears from her eyes but resisted the urge.

Then Kaitlyn stopped, sitting still. Her voice was still hoarse from her recent cry when she had asked something that has caught Yzak totally off guard. "Uncle Yzak, What are cordnitor?"

Now, why would she be asking that?

_Coordinators._ Yzak corrected her in his head. _That would be us, apparently_. He wanted to say, but he desperately held it back. How was he supposed to explain about Coordinators to a three year old girl without being technical?

"What about them?" He asked.

Pouting, "Some big kids call me an ugly cordnitor."

That was it. Two words and Yzak had heard enough. He understood many things now— how difficult it had been for Kaitlyn, a Coordinator, to be seen entering the compound of people who had been once the enemy. How difficult it must have been for Flay to make sure Kaitlyn was protected; to raise a child of who had been once the enemy was certainly frowned upon.

_Ugly._ Yzak recalled the first word and winced. Who the hell does those kids think they are for calling his daughter ugly! "Don't listen to them." Yzak spat. "You are beautiful." Well, Kaitlyn has his genes, which was obviously enough! "I know you'll grow up as attractive as your mother."

Kaitlyn looked up, hopeful. Many did find her mother beautiful.

"And as for Coordinators—they are special people who lives above earth!" That was the only thing Yzak could come up with.

"Like angels?" The girl asked.

"No, not like angels. Here," Yzak reached forward, took her small hands and folded them in his. "I'll take you back home."

00000

_Two weeks,_ Yzak estimated. _He'll need about to weeks to get preparations ready. _

Back at the hotel, Yzak wanted to be alone with his thoughts; to replay the previous scenario over and over in his head; to sort out what to do next, but no such luck. The minute he opened the door, he could hear the television blaring. Dearka stood by the bed, shoving weird things into his already stuffed gym bag. He was packing and listening to one of those sport recaps at the same time.

"You're back early," Dearka trailed Yzak's moving figure and decided to ask, "so did you find her? Kaitlyn, I mean."

"Yeah, I just took her back to her place." Yzak replied, moving from door to couch.

"So how did it go?" Raising an eyebrow, Dearka added after taking notice of Yzak's unusual behavior. "Aren't you going to pack yet? We're leaving in eight hours or have you forgotten?"

"Of course, I haven't for forgot!" Yzak spat. "I've just decided to take that vacation _everyone_ been trying to enforce on me, that's all." Yzak said, which was to Dearka's amazement.

"Well… since it's you, Yzak, I don't think there we'll be any problems. When do you plan on taking it?"

"Starting now."

"Now?" Alright, at this instant, Dearka Elsman knew something was going on. And there was no doubt in his mind that it had something to with Flay or Kaitlyn. And for a start, he wasn't too trilled about it. "What are you planning, Yzak?" Dearka turned to his friend on the couch, who was in deep thought, with suspicion. "You of all people should know the consequences of getting yourself involved with Flay again! Haven't you done enough damage? The next thing I know, you'll be telling me, you're leaving PLANTs!"

"Who said anything about leaving PLANTs? I only plan to adopt Kaitlyn!"

In knowing this, Dearka looked like he wanted to hit him. This probably was the most stupid and inconsiderate idea Yzak has ever come up with! Dearka wanted to shake him awake. "Listen to me, Yzak! I know you feel responsible for the girl, but forget about them. I've seen Kaitlyn and she seems pretty attached to her mother and Flay seems to care for her as well. The two of them seems real contented with their lives just the other day."

"Flay maybe but not Kaitlyn." Yzak pushed himself away from the couch. "Kaitlyn does not belong here. She is a Coordinator! She belongs in PLANTs with us!"

"And what made you say that? How would you know PLANTs would be better for her?" Dearka argued.

"That is because earlier this morning, she was being picked on by others for being a Coordinator." And for all they knew, Kaitlyn was only half one. "I'm sure you are aware how this may affect a child's upbringing-" like lack of self-confidence, depression, lack of communication skills and many others. Yzak wouldn't allow it. "Father or no father, what type of person will I be if I let this bullying continue?" Yzak exclaimed.

"Yes, do tell. What kind of bastard would want to separate a child from her mother?"

It was a dead hit but Yzak ignored it. Because in order to redeem himself, he knew adopting the girl was the first right thing he could do for her.

Still unconvinced, Dearka decided to continue angrily. "And what makes you think Flay Allster will give her up to you?"

At this, Yzak smirked so sure of himself. "Oh, she will. Because I intend to make her see things my way."


	3. The Girl He Once Knew

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 3: The Girl He Once Knew**

* * *

"Don't tell anyone." Yzak's last words still rang in Dearka's head on the day he departed on his return trip back to PLANT. "I want to be the one to explain to everyone when the time comes." Yzak reassured him. Yzak had made it seem like his recent troubles have become a distant memory, but still Dearka worried for him.

Dearka Elsman may have been sworn to secrecy by his best friend but that does not mean he liked the idea. On the contrary, Dearka leaned one elbow on the armrest, completely pissed at Yzak's decision and at the guy's stubborn nature.

Apparently, no matter what Dearka said or how he said it, Yzak Joule never seems to stop and take the time to listen to anyone else once he has his mind made up. Dearka had to admit that Yzak has made some awful decision in the past, but _suddenly wanting to adopt the girl without giving it much thought_... This. Dearka confirmed was probably one of the most irrational one yet.

What bothered Dearka was- _what ,exactly, was Yzak planning to prove by adopting the girl? Did Yzak even have any idea what he was getting himself into?_

"Is there anything else you need, sir?" The stewardess asked five minutes before launch.

Dearka turned to her. "No, I'm fine, thank you."

00000

Her favorite color is blue. Her favorite animal is a dog. Her favorite ice-cream flavor is cookies & cream. Those were just few of the things Yzak learned about Kaitlyn during his few days stay on earth.

For the last couple of days, Yzak took the initiative to visit Kaitlyn regularly after school that he believed she looked forward to it as much as he did. Yzak would tell her stories about PLANTs, which Kaitlyn was starting to show great interest in. He would even take her out a few times, just the two of them, to learn more about each other before personally escorting the little girl back to her place.

Two weeks seems to have just flown by then. The closer Yzak's return flight back to PLANTs got, the more the time he had shared with Kaitlyn seemed hardly enough; and the more Yzak came to urgently realize that he has to finish what he originally stayed on earth to do, which was to arrange an adoption.

And after evaluating several adoption agencies in town, Yzak finally decided to settle on this one.

"We will then have to complete a home study. We don't want the child to end up living on a dump now, do we?" The facilitator continued with a laugh, explaining the agency's adoption process to Yzak. The list went from petition, passports, financial statement to post-adoption reports.

"How long will all these take?" Yzak asked direct to the point. He did not care how many processes there were; all that mattered to him was- to have everything properly done in the shortest amount of time.

"Finalization of all the documents would take at least four to six months. But most importantly," The man added and gently slid forward, what looks to be permission forms on top of the wooden table. "In order to get everything started, we'll first need permission from the child's mother- appointing you as the girl's new guardian."

Yzak picked up the wad of papers and read them thoroughly. "So all I need to do is get the mother down here to the agency and sign these documents?"

The facilitator nodded. "Her signature along with yours should be signed here together for legal validation."

00000

Flay Allster could not have been more shock, early one morning, when Yzak rang her doorbell. And the first thing she did after seeing him standing there at her doorstep was- slam the door in his face.

"Go away!" Flay yelled.

"Damn it, Flay, I just want to talk!" Yzak yelled back from behind the door.

"I said, go away! I have nothing to say to you!"

"Five minutes, that's all I asks!" Yzak reasoned.

But the door stayed close.

"Frances." Flay called and turned around to the house-help _slash_ nanny of the household.

Frances was a small, middle-age, plump, round-faced woman not much taller than Flay was. The woman was standing a bit paralyzed behind her angry mistress and of what had just taken place at the front door. The woman in all her three years of serving Flay Allster had never seen the woman blow-up to anyone similar to the way she did just now.

"Never! I mean, never let that man step into this house, do you understand!" Flay yelled.

Frances struggled to find words. "Y-yes, Ms."

_What on earth was Yzak Joule doing here? Why hasn't he returned to PLANT yet?_

How he managed to find the Allster's home address, Flay didn't want to know. But little did Flay expect that the answer would come strolling into the room. Slowly, Kaitlyn appeared on top of the stairs in her printed-white pajamas. The little girl rubbed her woozy right eye; apparently, having been woken-up by the racket they were unconsciously making downstairs.

"Mama?"

Flay's attention automatically shifted upstairs as she heard her daughter's call. "Oh, Kaitlyn. I'm sorry. Did mommy wake you?"

The girl honestly nodded her head.

"Flay, would you just open the door and listen to me!"

"I said, go away!"

Not aware of what was going on, "is that uncle Yzak?" The little girl asked, wondering before suddenly screaming with delight. "Yey, its Uncle Yzak!"

_Uncle Yzak! _Flay thought alarmed.

Kaitlyn excitedly yet quickly descended the stairs at her own pace. The girl, Flay realized then, has her hands wrapped around a white bean-stuffed animal shaped like a baby seal, which Flay does not recall buying for her.

At that very moment, something within Flay snapped. "Where did you get this?" Flay interrogated after successfully tearing the doll away from her daughter's refusing grip, just after the girl descended the stairs.

"That's mine!" Kaitlyn cried.

"Kaitlyn, where did you get this?" Flay demanded again as she grabbed hold of Kaitlyn's arm causing the girl to cry even more.

"Uncle _sob_ Y_sob_zack gave it _sob_ to me." The girl told her, frightened more from her mother's temper than losing her doll.

After becoming aware of this, Flay gently let go of her arm abruptly and dropped her own to her sides balling them into tight fists. She took deep breaths, making the effort of calming herself. "Frances, please take Kaitlyn back to her room. I will be heading there shortly."

The plump woman nodded and hastily escorted the weeping little girl back upstairs to her room.

Now alone, Flay stood still. The noises around her were so loud that the living room sounded almost silent.

"Flay, I know you are still there!"

_So he hasn't left yet._ Flay closed her eyes and squeezed the doll in her fist. The anger bestowed on her this morning still has not left her, but Flay knew she needs to calm down at least.

Again, Flay took deep breaths trying to calm herself. She needed to do this; she meant to tell him off. When Flay thought she had mustered up enough courage to do so, she opened the door and was met with a shocking display of Wufei, the Allster's suppose to be guard dog, being all friendly to a total stranger, Yzak Joule aka the one who trespassed on the her yard and threshold, by letting him pat him on the head.

_Yzak Joule may have won the heart of her dog, but he didn't fool her._

Storming out from the house, Flay's shoulders started shaking once more. "How dare you!" Flay shouted at Yzak. She did any property owner would do. She gave Yzak a violent shove. "First, my daughter then my dog! You have been deliberately meeting with my daughter behind my back! Nicely, I had asked you to leave. I begged you to turn around- to not get involved anymore! I have asked you nothing in return! Why are you doing this? Haven't you done enough? What are you trying to prove? Can't you see that you are not welcomed!" Flay had yelled everything so fast it was like she had forgotten how to breathe. "I was doing you a favor and I get this!" Flay threw the bean-stuffed animal angrily at Yzak's chest, which the male had caught easily. "Don't ever go near Kaitlyn again! I swear, if I catch you with her again... I would- I would-..." when she was unable to come up with anything, Flay gave a frustrated shrieked instead.

She was now very much aware that Yzak was yelling a whole lot of comebacks, but she paid no attention to them. His words, whatever they were, meant nothing to her from the very beginning.

"Wufie, come now!" Flay ordered, and her dog obeyed immediately by running to its master's side. Shifting her attention quickly from Wufei to Yzak, Flay pointed a finger away from the house, demanding Yzak to do as she says. "Leave now or I will call the law on you!" And with one last violent push, Flay turned her back to Yzak then slammed the door in his face for the second time that morning.

00000

"Where are the scissors?"

"Someone help me hold up the fabric!"

"Mother, we've ran out of chalk!"

As usual, it was a busy day at Fuyu's. They make the clothes and customers buy them resulting- their workplace to be a mess, no different from any other day. If there were piles of sheared fabrics on one floor space; there would be disassembled manikins found on another. Everything was scattered all over the room as if a typhoon had hit the place. The most fascinating part was that everyone was able to find whatever tool they needed much easier this way.

"This isn't working." Allen, the head designer, commented to another designer, Stefanie, while studying the gown hanging unfinished on a dress form in front of them. "First, I think you should add more lacing between the breasts. Second, the bodice ends would look much better with a v-shape at the lower stomach than a triangle. And third, the skirt is way too short. This gorgeous gown is supposed to flair out to a full skirt that flows to the floor."

"Backless." Flay added causing the two to notice her drop by. "The gown would also look better backless." Allen nodded at this in full support.

Thoughtful, Stefanie studied the dress that she was making. "I see. I'll start working on the changes right away. Thanks." The woman stood up and walked off in order to search for more pins.

It was at this moment that Allen turned to Flay. "And what's the story on your project?" He asked her as he did almost everyday.

The firm where they work was a small fashion boutique specifically made for women. They sold custom gowns, formal wear, jewelries, and dresses based on the latest trends of the fashion industry. The staffs employed were passionate at what they do. The payroll they earn was sufficient enough to pay the bills as well as a few more other extra accommodation. Moreover, being part of a small group does have its perks. Everyone was friendly.

Flay smiled at him then lead him to her workstation. Allen was both her co-worker and friend. It has been nearly two years since she had been employed here and worked along side him. Everyday was demanding, but Flay enjoys her work greatly.

"I'm currently working on a black and white short perky dress for formal parties, private parties or elegant occasions," explained Flay. And as she was about to pull out the dress she had been working on for evaluation, there came a knock on the door. And a saleslady in short ponytail came excitedly running into the room.

"Flay, you are not going to believe this, but there's a good-looking guy asking for you at front." The woman winked.

From the mere mention of the word good-looking, the rest of the staff, Flay's colleagues, were caught with curiosity and rushed to the window, peeking through the Venetian blinds, hurriedly, to check the guy out.

Flay looked grave and didn't move from her place. She has a strong feeling that the good-looking guy they were referring to could be Yzak. And she did not want to be right.

"Oh. He is handsome." Flay heard one of her co-mates say before grabbing the previous saleslady quickly on the arm.

"Ripley," Flay whispered and pleaded. "I need a favor. Please, tell the guy at the store that Flay Allster does not work here and you don't know who she is!"

Not understanding why Flay would rather lie, the woman replied regrettably for being unable to help the girl out. "I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that. He saw you through the window." The woman replied causing Flay to look up in sudden realization.

Apparently, Flay Allster was standing in front of a glass window located between the shop and the backroom with the blinds up. Yzak Joule was clearly visible a few meters away, on the other side, waiting for her to come out.

Flay wanted to breakdown in defeat. Her peaceful life seemed to have crumbled in an instant. And she could feel her legs already giving in.

_How? _Who knows how many times she had asked that question. _How did he find her? Why was he following her? Hasn't heaven punished her enough? All the things she had to go through during and after the First Bloody Valentine War, hasn't she suffered enough?_

Still checking out the mystery man behind the blinds, the one named Allen could not help but squeal. "Silver hair and blue eyes; he looks arrogant but extremely handsome. What's more- the man can dress! Smart-casual, a personal favorite of mine!" He pointed out after scanning Yzak from top to bottom. "You've certainly outdid yourself this time, Flay. The man is divine! I could just eat him alive!"

"Handsome, indeed!" The woman next to the blond gasped while peeking though the same window blinds.

Another girl peeking next to them also nodded her head, giggling. "Very! And look at those arms!" The girl ogled along with the rest of the staff before being brought back to reality by loud claps of the hands.

"Okay, break it up. That would be enough from all of you before you all start stripping him naked in my shop!" The one called Mother, the owner, motherly figure, and the eldest amongst them by ten years, ordered when he decided to join in the conversation.

For a few seconds, the staffs whimpered and whined childishly at their superior's order; be that as it may, they obediently headed back to work. Once the staffs had been settled down, Mother gently slid his fingers through the window blinds to peek through it, only for a fraction of minute, before removing himself from the said window.

"Is he the father?" Mother asked after spotting the resemblance immediately.

Flay bowed her head; heard her own voice quiver as she told them the truth. "Yes..."

"But I thought the father was dead." Flay heard one of the staff whisper to another.

"No wonder the guy seemed awfully familiar." The second staff whispered back.

On impulse, "Mother, I'm sorry for disrupting everyone from work. But I can explain-!" Flay bowed down, wanting to apologize, but was silence by Mother.

"It's all right, Flay. It's all right." Mother placed a hand over Flay's shoulder, gesturing her to raise her head. "You are like family here." He explained, calming Flay before she could say anything that she might regret. "You don't have to explain, if you don't want to. But maybe we could help when we know what's going on." Mother turned to glance at the staff. He meant _we_- as the entire Fuyu's Fashion Boutique family.

The rest nodded in agreement.

At this, Flay wanted to cry. She and Mother were now seated on stools located on a corner of the room while others continued to work as they listened. Flay told them about coincidentally running to Yzak and Dearka at a public park days ago; the story of Yzak suddenly showing up on her doorstep one morning; and how she had just recently discovered-how Yzak had been meeting with her daughter regularly behind her back.

"I think his planning to take Kaitlyn away from me. What other reasons could there be?" Flay said worried. "I'm scared, Mother! What if he takes Kaitlyn away?" This was something Flay did not want to happen. "I wouldn't know what to do! I don't want to lose her to him." Flay confessed and explained. "Kaitlyn is the world to me! I don't want to lose her..." Flay sobbed. The little girl was her daughter, her only family; the only one she has.

"There is nothing wrong about a mother wanting to keep her child, nothing at all." Mother rubbed the back of Flay's hand gently. He, at least, understood Flay's feelings to an extent; but not entirely, because he had never been strongly attached to anyone. "But maybe, it would be best if you talk to him."

"He scares me, Mother. The man does not know when to quit."

"Think about it, Flay. If he was such a bad person, he could have taken Kaitlyn away even without your consent, but he didn't..."

The simple thought of Mother's words horrified Flay because it made sense. Yzak could have so easily abducted Kaitlyn from school if he had wanted to. He could have made false documents; take Kaitlyn out of the country; announced he was the child's father and no one would question him due to the resemblance. Take DNA samples and it would only end up with a match. Flay was completely lost for words.

"Talk to him, dear. Don't worry so much." Mother held Flay's hand. "If he hurts you in any way... just let us know. We'll beat him up for you."

"Beat him up, Mother? I'd rather have him for myself if our Flay doesn't want him."

"Allen!"

"What?" Allen made a defensive gesture. "I'm just saying... I mean, did you really get a good glimpse of him, Mother? He is hot! Beating him up would be such a waste." The male tsked.

Whether this was meant as a joke or Allen was totally serious; Flay smiled at this, murmuring a light "thank you" to her friends for making her feel better.

00000

Shouldered against the wall, Yzak took a deep breath of air. It's been exactly twenty minutes since that saleslady disappeared into the backroom. What's more, the glass window where he had seen Flay through, twenty minutes ago, has now been covered with Venetian blinds.

_What the hell is going on in there?_ Yzak's patience was running thin. _How long does it have to take to call out one person? Could it be that Flay was making him wait on purpose? Or could it be possible, she had already escaped through a backdoor to avoid him!_ Suddenly, Yzak was starting to feel real stupid for waiting right now. He was about to burst himself through the backroom door when a woman in an elegant light-gray tunic shirt came out from the said door. It was Flay.

_Finally!_ "Well it's about time! I-"

"I don't want to talk here." Yzak's strong voice unnerved Flay, and she tried to affect a very mild harmless tone. "I will be having my break shortly. There is a café right across the street. I'll meet you there in ten minutes, and then we'll talk." She said before heading straight back into where she came from.

00000

Looking out of the café window that was open to the humid day- humid for the Bay Area- and across the expanse of grass of People's park, Yzak could see the small fashion boutique where Flay works clad in cedar shingles between two larger firms both made out of glass aluminum wing of offices.

Yzak took a sip of coffee then checked his wristwatch again as he did so every passing minute before turning his attention back to the Fuyu's fashion boutique that was clearly in view just across the street.

It was obvious from his actions that Yzak Joule did not trust Flay Allster, not one bit. Although as much as he wanted Flay to stay true to her words; apparently, Yzak partially expects Flay would not show. That asking him to wait for her in this cafe was a diversion to get him away, so that she could run and hide when she finds the opportunity fits.

Flay Allster, after all, had once feared him. And there was no doubt in his mind that Flay have not gotten over that fear. Yzak could tell from her eyes, from her voice, from her actions. Thus, it wouldn't be so surprising if she never wanted to see him again. Because as dreadful as it may be, Yzak admits that-he had once been one of her tormentors and he regretted this greatly. He'd be lucky enough if he could be able to get Flay to listen to him for five minutes.

Yzak took another sip from his coffee cup and glanced back at the window. Ready. Yzak quickly stood up from his seat when he saw Flay made her way out from the familiar store. _If she runs, he'd chase after her._ It was as simple as that. He was going to discuss Kailtyn's adoption with Flay, no matter what.

Yzak's sharp eyes watched closely as Flay walked across the park and into the pedestrian lane. At the T intersection of the two lanes, she looked left, then right, toting a large bag slung over one shoulder. Then the most unexpected thing happened. True to her word, Flay came straight to the café.

The bell on the door chimed. Yzak sat back down.

As Flay entered the café with a nice ambiance, she was greeted immediately by warm welcomes.

"Glad to have you back, Flay!" The plump friendly-faced man, the owner of the place, announced with his strong voice.

"Good afternoon, Flay! What can we get for you today?"

"I'll be having the usual, thank you." Flay smiled.

"Alone this time, is it?"

"No, actually I'm meeting someone today. He should he here already."

"A HE! NO WAY!" One of the younger male waiters yelled out from shock, and was comforted, later on, with the '_you-never-stood-a-chance'_ line.

Flay scanned the pleasant room for Yzak. Yzak then raised a hand to signal her over. And just as Flay was about to make her way to the table, she was stopped on her track by an all excited woman in her late twenties. "Flay, you wouldn't believe this, but I'm finally going on a date again!" The woman squealed. "His name is Todd. He is six feet tall has gorgeous blond hair; and is into engineering..." The rest of the details simply bounced off Yzak's ear.

And just when Yzak thought it was over, two more women stole Flay's attention asking her for hair, make-up, clothing tips, and referrals. After Flay had finished accommodating each and every one of their needs, Yzak was astounded at Flay's wisdom which had come from her love and knowledge of fashion.

It was a wonder for Yzak to see Flay in her home surroundings. With each passing moment, she seemed to come more alive. Her chin no longer jutted down in fear as she looked at the people around her. Flay no longer slouch as Yzak had so clearly remembered she did during her capture. Her shoulders were straight, but not as if she meant to ward off blows and angry words. What glowed was her confidence.

He watched the faces of the men and women around her. They respected her, listen to her, and each decision she made was wise and was in their best interest.

This was a completely different side of Flay, one Yzak had never imagined existed. He knew her to be scared, annoying, filled with hatred, given to using a gun and making impossible demands. He remembered scoffing at her when she clung to Le Crueset out of fear.

But after seeing Flay today, the scared little girl he once knew, obviously, no longer exists.

Suddenly, Yzak felt a swift of jealousy. He'd never seen Flay, this woman, who discussed matters with her colleagues and made decisions that affected their lives. They knew a side of her that he'd never even guessed at.

Once Flay have reached their table, she sat across to him poise and demure as a woman should.

When Flay and Yzak had last met, they had thought they would never see each other again. She glanced up him timidly, remembering that encounter. He was looking at her too. His eyes fixed on her face as if he was remembering himself of every curve, every line of it. Something about her had changed. He smiled a wry smile. His shorn head made him look like a mischievous child. Even when Flay's hair had been tugged back into an elegant knot, he'd never been able to see her lovely face so clearly.

"You look different." Flay's words had snapped Yzak from an unconscious trance. It took him a full minute to realize what she had said.

After what the two of them have been through, sitting together like they were doing now has proven to be real uncomfortable. "You too seem... Different."

"The scar..." She said and paused. "You had it removed."

"I had my reasons!" Yzak replied suddenly annoyed. The scar has always been a touchy subject whether or not it had been removed.

Changing the subject, "So what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Flay took it straight to the point.

The only reason why the two of them were sitting there alone was because Yzak had persistently insisted that she talked to him after all.

_'I want to adopt Kaitlyn.' _

That was it. Short, simple, and direct to the point. Regrettably, Yzak found himself unable to say it. _'Kaitlyn is my responsibility! She is my daughter too and I have the right to take her to PLANTs if I see fit! She'll be much happier and safer there! I will educate her! I will treat her well! I will be more than happy to take her off your hands! You'd be able to restart you life! _How can he explain it? The moment he realized Kaitlyn was his, he knew he would provide her with everything she needed. But Yzak said none of those. All those lines and all of those words wasted just because he couldn't get any of them to come out from his mouth.

Yzak cringed. He had only noticed too well how Flay's casual smile disappeared, the moment she sat with him at this very table. This only reminded him so much of what he had remorsefully done to her, and he gripped his hands into a fist as he remembered that moment. Apparently, he was the bad news in Flay's now contented life.

_Damn. _What if Dearka was right? What if Flay did really care for Kaitlyn and he still took the child without putting that into consideration? Who will he be then? Yzak didn't want to think he was Flay's tormentor. That whatever he'd done to her, they both finally had enough.

Flay's once sullen face, her pleading cries, flashed in his memory. Would he be able to stand being the one to break her again? Would he be able to live with himself after being aware that he could have prevented this _one_ from happening?

What Yzak wanted to do was as clear as day. He wanted to adopt Kaitlyn, which was fact. Yet at the same time, he wanted not to hurt Flay over again; to revert her back into the fickle girl who so much feared him.

It took Yzak awhile to choose his words. And the words that did come out from his mouth stung his tongue. "I-" Yzak slammed both hands on the table as he stood up. He could not even recall the last time he had said these words to anyone. Coming deeply from the heart, "I want to apologize!"


	4. What Does It Look Like?

**A/N: **For a sec, I had this crazy nag of wanting to add smut into some later chapters, but then again, maybe I shouldn't...

In any case, that's another chapter down. I'm not sure if this chapter is any good though. (Author is seriously having doubts.) Please consider leaving a review whether it's good or bad. I seriously would love to hear what you think. Thanks!

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 4: What Does It Look Like?**

* * *

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Yzak had watched in outrage as several bullets had missed it's distinguish targets.

"More than two years in the military and this is the best you can do!"

"She hit the sides, didn't she!" Shinn said, trying to defend Lunamaria.

"Quiet! Your aim is no better!"

Actually, Shinn's aim was far better than Lunamaria's, not that it was any different for Yzak though.

Shinn's expression became guarded. "As if you can do any better, it's not as easy as it looks!"

"Not as easy as it looks?" Taking the bait, Yzak forcibly snatched the gun off Shinn's hand and started shooting on his marksmanship level with one target flashing right after the other at random.

Headshot. Headshot. Chest. Headshot. Chest again.

Those who were watching him shoot were in complete awe, except one.

Grumbling beneath his breath, "Great... Another Athrun..." Shinn muttered, earning himself a painful knock on the head.

"Don't compare me with that nobody!" Yzak declared, setting the gun down. He glared down at Shinn, who was kneading the bump on his head, before turning his attention to the rest of the soldiers under his supervision. "Satisfied? Now get back into positions!"

"Yes, Sir," came the obedient replies; Shinn excluded as he continued to mutter incoherent but murderous intent words under his breath, giving Lunamaria, who was beside him, little snippets of tortuous ways of how he wants his Commandeering officer to pay. Something about saber beams, some spit and... barbeque sauce? She failed to decipher.

"Zip it, Shinn. You're going to get us in trouble." Lunamaria hissed.

"Show some respect to your superiors!"

_WHACK!_

"Is it just me, or is Commander Joule more intolerable lately?" Shiho asked Dearka- who was observing the ongoing training with her from the sidelines.

Being a senior officer of the Joule team, Shiho knew their Commander was strict... However, recently, she had noticed- how Yzak had been exercising his temper on them without anticipation or any discretion by treating them, everyone, far unfavorable for it to be considered normal, despite being in or out of military grounds.

"Oh good, so I'm not the only one who have noticed."

There came another set of gunfire that had cause Yzak to bawl at his subordinates yet again.

"Is something bothering him?" Shiho asked Dearka, catching their Commander go on another rampage.

"To be honest, Shiho, I haven't asked." Dearka replied, guiltily. He knew Yzak had been acting rather strangely since his return trip from Earth. However, Dearka figured all Yzak needed was time to cool down... Boy was he wrong.

"Your grip is wrong!" Yzak's roaring voice echoed around the vicinity.

After watching Commander Joule knocking one officer after another, Shiho's expression narrowed. "Stupid jerk..." She muttered under her breath.

Being the only one who actually heard her, "Wow, Shiho. This coming from you... I always suspected you had this _thing_ for our dear Commander... Could I have been wrong?" Dearka sneered teasingly causing Shiho to sternly retort, rolling her eyes at his ignorance.

"Just because I have great respect for him doesn't mean- I can stand him and his temper every single day."

"So what did Yzak do now?" Dearka asked the upset Shiho, expectantly.

Dearka recognizes Shiho Hahnenfuss as an overachiever. She was on of those few, despite being a girl, who ranked top at the academy. It was rare to see the girl fail on anything. One distinct factor about her- was her scrupulous admiration for Yzak. To her, Yzak Joule's approval was like striking oil while the opposite rarely happens.

"Recently, at melee training the other day, I have successfully disarmed five senior male officers all at once. You and I both know I did exceptionally well! But did you know what our Commander said? He told me that I was far from good enough!" Shiho crossed her arms completely irritated. "I mean, can you believe that guy? What does he expect me to do? Take down an entire platoon?"

Dearka grinned at her. "Maybe that is exactly what he expects."

Shiho turned her head sideways, her gaze hard. "I don't see you taking down a platoon..."

"Well... I'm not meticulous of what Yzak think I should do."

The girl was struck by his words resulting in a band of color to raise high on her cheeks.

"At least you had it easy." Dearka said causing Shiho to raise a curious eyebrow at him, waiting for him to tell her what happened. Dearka took a quick breath. "Yzak threw away my XXX video collection last Tuesday." Dearka sighed dejectedly, telling his comrade of the horrible incident.

Impassive. Shiho's expression did not soften. "You shouldn't have bought those in the first place."

"Well... It was a collection. And considering that they were mine, does not give him the right to throw them away." Dearka countered.

Shiho sighed and uncrossed her arms. "I had enough of this." She told Dearka, turning on her heel.

Dearka responded with a wry laugh, watching Shiho leave the vicinity. He figured the girl probably went off to find a way to take out a platoon by herself.

"Shoot with both eyes open!" Yzak ordered the first as he moved passed behind soldier to soldier inspecting and correcting their shooting stances. "Less grip, more aim!" He told the third and move to the next. "Thumb down! Passed ten seconds! Elbows! Elbows as well!"

After he was done with the row, Yzak stopped adeptly at the end to observe everyone when his sharp eye caught a glimpse of a new recruit, who was just strangely standing there, unmoving, during target practice with a gun raised.

Yzak raised an eyebrow at this and decided to approach the male, wondering what was wrong. He positioned himself next to the novice then realized, suddenly, that the guy was fearfully holding his breath.

"Breathe. Damn it!"

The boy quickly respired with heavy breaths.

Turning away from the new recruit, Yzak announced to everyone to start over.

Sighing, Dearka left the wall and approached Yzak. Casually, he threw an arm around their hot-tempered Commander, halting him in place before the male could take off and do another row around the soldiers. "Yzak, I think we need to talk..."

Yzak jerked away from him. "Not now, Dearka. Can't you see I am busy?"

"It will only take a couple of minutes. I'm sure everyone is capable of training on their own." Dearka turned head, watching the soldiers practice.

Eyes on the same scene, Yzak looked hesitant at first before deciding to give in- "Fine. Five minutes!" Yzak agreed, stepping out of the room with Dearka.

They walked fast, taking a quick turn around the border of the room.

Once outside, on a nearly deserted hallway except them, "okay, Yzak. What's the problem?" Dearka asked brusquely.

"You tell me. You are the one who called me here!"

"You have been acting strangely ever since you came back from earth." Dearka informed him, which caught his attention. "Tell me, Yzak. What happened on Earth?" He asked, wanting to know.

Dearka knew he could have this talk with Yzak later on. But he feared, if prolonged, later may be too late... Someone probably would be had been shot by then... More specifically Shinn... Although, he could be over exaggerating things.

"There is no need for this," Yzak said with an instant frown. "It's none of your business!"

Yzak turned with every intention of leaving the scene with his usual impatient stride when Dearka blocked his way.

"I thought it wasn't! But now that you have taken it out on everyone, how could it not be my business? ... Even Shiho's complaining!" The blond pointed out. "This isn't like you to be keeping everything to yourself. Often, you would just rant out your frustration without care." Dearka paused, and then his smile became brittle, his purple eyes darkening. "I understand you don't want to talk about what happened to prevent others from finding out, and that's okay." Dearka compressed his hand into a hard fist, feeling his own temper rising. "It's just... I wish you would trust me enough to aid you with your problems!"

Although, Yzak showed no reaction to Dearka impudence, his boldness nearly startled a smile from him. Dearka is indeed his closest friend for apparent reasons.

Yzak threw his gaze to the side. "I couldn't do it after all... The adoption... One look at Flay's forlorn expression, and I just could not get myself to speak about it with her. I keep seeing her face in my head crying... that it's-" haunting him in his sleep.

Dearka's eyebrows were both raised. _Was this guy talking to him still the Yzak who he has known for so long? _"So you gave up?"

"No," Yzak replied without hesitation. "I apologized to her..."

"And?" It was just one surprise after another.

"She said, what I have done is in the past. And she never regretted having Kaitlyn so there was no need for me to apologize... We are currently on neutral grounds." Yzak paused and let out a taut breath. "I'm free to see Kaitlyn so long as I seek her permission first!"

"Well... That is surprisingly reasonable of her." Dearka said firmly.

"Reasonable?" Yzak protested. "I offered to fund half of all Kaitlyn's expenses, but she refused my offer by saying: she was perfectly capable of funding and taking care of Kaitlyn by herself!" _That damn ungrateful woman!_

"In short, she messed with your mood..." Dearka finished bluntly.

"My mood has nothing to do with her!" Yzak declared then pause, suddenly feeling rather uneasy as if he and Dearka were being watched_...correction..._ eavesdropped.

Dearka felt this too. Although, being the one who was faced to the training room, he could actually see the men recently fixed at the door, eavesdropping on them.

Yzak clenched his hand into a fist, pissed. He did not have to even turn to emit fear. "I don't hear any shooting!" Yzak yelled out as warning to the soldiers. Even outside the enclosed vicinity, Commander Joule's roaring voice sounded fierce causing the men to scramble.

00000

Several days later...

From her place by the shade, Lacus found her peace, sitting on soft cushion, listening to the stream where a wildflower patch sloped down to tall grasses alive with meadow-brown and marbled-white butterflies.

"Ms. Lacus, there is a Mr. Dearka here to see you." The butler informed from behind, disrupting the ambiance. But it didn't matter, as she found more joy from having company.

"Please, do send him in." Lacus smiled, releasing Mr. Pink between her cupped hands, and allowing it jump off to greet the guest.

They lounged at Lacus's favorite spot by the gazebo. A spot Lacus had insisted on having the best gardeners and architect restore behind the extravagant Clyne estate.

"There is no need to be shy, now. Please, eat as much as you like as if you are in your own home." Lacus said, offering another batch of sandwiches.

Dearka couldn't help but sweat drop at Lacus's hospitable gesture. They have been talking for at least an hour and, apparently, Lacus had been feeding him nonstop. His mind wandered off to Kira, wondering how Lacus's husband manages to stay fit after everyday of this.

"Oh, my. The baby just kicked." Lacus touched her round belly.

By now, Lacus Clyne was twenty-five weeks pregnant. Some would often wonder why- Lacus Clyne is on maternal leave when she is still far from giving birth. Well... To put it simply- pregnancy in PLANTs- is a really big deal.

"So how does it feel, knowing you'll be a mother soon?" Dearka smiled.

"It feels wonderful. No word can describe how I feel." Lacus smiled back.

"Have the two of you checked whether the baby is a boy or a girl?"

"No, we have not. Kira and I both agreed not to look into the baby's gender. We both want it to be a surprise."

Smiling fondly, Lacus softly kneaded her belly. And by watching Lacus, Dearka's chest took a sharp envious prang, immediately, upon imagining the day when Miriallia too would look this happy, _undesirably_, without him in her life.

Dearka frowned and sighed. He wondered what _Milly_ could possibly be doing at the moment.

A long moment of silence ensued.

"Lacus." Dearka started; his voice was light with benevolence.

Lacus lifted her gaze as she replied gently. "Yes?"

"You see, Lacus," Dearka said hesitantly, clenching his hands together on the table. "I know I'm in no position to be asking you this, but... I've been meaning to ask for a favor."

00000

"I am being what!" Yzak yelled when Dearka broke the news to him first.

"Reassigned, Yzak. You are being reassigned."

"I heard you the first time!" Yzak snapped, suddenly realizing something grave. "You told the council, didn't you..." Yzak looked back at Dearka with a flash of danger in his blue eyes.

"Look, Yzak. I didn't tell them anything." Dearka didn't look away only because he was so used of Yzak glaring that hard at him, despite the fact that what he had just revealed was an obvious lie.

No. He did not tell.

And yes. Dearka admits that he does have something to do with Yzak's sudden transfer. However, all he really did was ask Lacus to reassign Yzak by twisting a little bit of truth regarding- 'Yzak wanting to see his daughter' into 'Yzak running into this nameless beauty at a park whom Yzak suddenly could not forget about.'

And Lacus being a hopeless romantic that she was, gleefully, offered to help. It was Lacus who helped him find a way for the possible transfer. And Lacus was the one who influenced the rest of boards into agreeing. Basically, it was Lacus who had made everything possible. Not him.

Fortunately for them, the rest of the council saw no harm in transferring a few officers.

And thank heavens, not everything that was coming out from his mouth was a lie.

"PLANTs and Earth have recently established an agreement of limiting firearms, especially nuclear weapons. Thus, now the council is scouting people who could monitor this process. In exchange, Earth would also be sending their men up here as well." Dearka explained.

"Then you go! The council had every intention on telling you the news first!"

"I have already told you. I was simply ordered by the council to pass the list around. Plus, the position is exclusively for Engineers and a Commander only. I'm guessing the council may have some plans of sending you on errands while you are there."

"Then let Yamato take the job. He seems more than capable enough!"

"Lacus's pregnant remember." Dearka reminded him.

"What about Commander Jin or Marco?"

Dearka shook his head. Suddenly regretting the mistake of telling Yzak the news first before the council did.

"Yzak, you are missing the point here. You have been chosen by votes. See..."

Dearka showed Yzak the petition list that was in favor of him, which was composed of over several hundred names and signatures in total. When half of the list included names and signature of Dearka's entire crew, the more Yzak became suspicious that Dearka had something to do with this.

And given the few more minutes of Yzak memorizing the list of names that was on paper out of anger, Dearka could only sigh after seeing enough.

"Look. I won't waste time arguing the point, but you might use that clever brain to consider something... You want to see Kaitlyn, don't you?... Wouldn't it be much easier to do so when you're on Earth?"

00000

"Good morning, children!" A woman on her late twenties greeted as she entered the educational room with a large box of art materials. "We are going to do something really special today!" the woman announced resulting in cheers and claps from her little students.

00000

Flay yawned while tapping her pencil. She gazed lazily at the sketches of her new dress design suddenly losing interest on finishing them.

In any case, it was getting late; about half passed ten, to be precise. Both Kaitlyn and Frances had gone to bed hours ago.

Flay made another yawn. Often, her mind wandered to her daughter while it became difficult to concentrate. She would imagine Kaitlyn's face as she sketched and wondered what Kaitlyn was dreaming of. When her desire to be with her became desperate, she would put down her pencil and sketchbook, thinking now would be the time to save her work for another day; and creep through the hallway until she arrived at her child's bedside.

There beside her sleeping daughter, Flay check Kaitlyn's breathing and stroke her head with her hand. When the moonlight hits the window, she took the fraction of a moment to glimpse at her daughter's sweet face. Her eyes traced her lovely forehead, eyelids, nose and lips. Then she would bend over and kiss her causing Kaitlyn to mumble something in her sleep and turn on bed.

After awhile, Flay quietly travel along Kaitlyn's room, browsing her little plastic desk and the dozen drawings she had made for the day. Kaitlyn apparently likes to draw. And occasionally, the little girl would run to her excitedly to show her every little thing that she made with her crayons.

Flay gathered all the paper scattered around the little table and stocked them into a neat pile. After she was done with those, she then turned to Kaitlyn's school bag to arrange the content, smiling.

Kaitlyn had been in school that day, she had learned something, perhaps several things, and she rode home in the school bus. There were papers in her canvas knapsack, hand writing and drawings that her teacher had graded neatly with red ink, and a picture of stick figures that she colored by herself.

_Hold on... _

Flay picked up the drawing she had not seen before; and sat on a small red vinyl seat near the moonlit window, wondering why Kaitlyn have not showed this piece to her.

On the regular piece of bond paper, only the bottom half was drawn. The drawing included-a happy sun, a house, two people holding hands, and several hearts.

Flay then flipped the paper over, suddenly understanding why she never saw it. Due to the upcoming event, the school teacher may have required every student to make one.

Flay took a glimpse at Kaitlyn peaceful form on bed, feeling inordinately concerned.

_It was homework... Just homework... _

00000

_... ' Can't believe this!_

The last time Yzak had spoke with Lacus, Lacus had manage to make it sound as if he was about to get committed.

After having been reassigned by the council, Yzak had arrived on Earth about four hours ago. And already, he could not help but cross his arm and glare completely irritated at the sight of the empty space of an apartment, which he would be calling his place for the next couple of months.

Not that the place was bad because it was not. He simply disliked the fact that it was there and so was he.

Dearka had gone out of his ways to find this place on the internet for him on the last minute.

The studio-type room as a whole was approximately thirty-six square meters; composed of one bedroom, one living room, one kitchen and a bathroom; all made up of strong clean walls and tiled floors.

It was not much when he could clearly afford something much better, but Yzak did not think it would be worth the effort and money to invest on something he knew he would not need for very long in order to be picky. He could sleep on a rug for all he cares. And a permanent residence on earth was something he obviously did not needed.

_Suddenly being transferred to Earth like this... Must be some kind of sick joke..._

_Damn._ Yzak turned around, shoving his resident keycard into his pocket before showing himself to the door in serious need of some air.

Yzak quickly descended the flight of stairs, disregarding the many other rooms within the building. Yzak bowed his head respectfully to the aged landlady tending her garden then crossed the distance between him and his car in four quick strides before deciding he would rather take a walk instead.

One block passed... Make that two...

As expected, even after the war had ceased, being the sole Coordinator in a Natural abounding environment has proven to be neither comfortable nor fun, Yzak concluded. He had been strolling for only ten minutes on the unfamiliar street, yet his conspicuous hair color had already caught the eyes of several civilians residing on the district.

The meaning to their many glances, Yzak had disregarded on the spot when he decided, those did not really matter to him.

After a few more blocks and turns, Yzak suddenly found himself looking at his own reflection through a glass window to a very familiar set of tables and chairs. And the first thing that came to mind was- how he had unconsciously made a scene while trying to apologize to Flay, some day ago.

The words, the actions, and the stares, everything seemed so vivid.

Discomfited, Yzak closed his eyes and breathed in.

_"I told them you would be gone for months." Dearka laughed, explaining how he managed to convince a lot of people into signing the petition list under Yzak's name. _

_"Now, why the hell would you tell them that?"_

_"Because unlike someone we both know, you are not the type who would leave PLANTs for some girl."_

_Leave PLANTs for some girl? For a girl! _Yzak scoffed_. How preposterous! Who would be dumb enough to leave PLANTs for some girl?_

_... _

_Oh, yeah. Athrun. _

But Athrun was already an idiot in his book. If it were up to him, Yzak was certain, he would bring the girl back to PLANTs with him.

_The girl Dearka was referring to is Kaitlyn, right?_

00000

Only a thin layer of orange remained in the sky then.

"You are not seriously going to burn it now, are you?"

"I don't know... It's just that-I don't want her to feel as if she's missing something."

"Or maybe... It's a sign that you should start seeking for a real man."

"You know I'm not interested in dating anymore." The only female shook her head, opposing the idea.

"Then I insist that you should reconsider. I know a lot of gorgeous men who would like to go out with you."

"Speaking of real man..." The larger male halted, gesturing to his friend to switch their attention to the sight in front of them.

Apparently, there was this guy absentmindedly standing right outside Jerry's Café seemingly in deep thought.

"Yzak..." The only female called, suddenly realizing who the guy was causing the male to turn attentively towards her direction.

"Flay..." Yzak bolted up then turned, surprised of running into Flay along with her two male companions, whom he did not know.

To Flay's left was a large black hair big-boned male who was nearly a head taller than Yzak. However, despite his height and size, the man possesses a relaxed approachable insouciance.

The one on the right, on other hand, was only a half head taller than Flay. He was wellformed and blond, with broad shoulder and a confident way of walking that was very nearly a strut. Like the first one, he was dressed in Henley shirt and denim pants only without a scarf.

Yzak gave the two a skeptical look, which naturally Mother understood in one incisive glance.

"Flay, we will be going on ahead." Mother turned around to leave. "Allen, let's go."

"But Mother!" Allen exclaimed out of disbelief, not sharing same concept of leaving Flay alone with Yzak.

Mother threw Allen a meaningful look, which Allen threw boldly back, before deciding it was easier to simply drag the refusing male away from the scene with him.

Stumbling and turning around at the same time, "I swear, if you hurt Flay in anyway, you are so mine!" The smaller one warned causing Yzak to raise an eyebrow, sensing something strangely not right about the threat the male had thrown at him.

"Friends of yours?" Yzak asked Flay, wanting to ensure.

"Yes." Flay replied rather quickly. leaving both Yzak and herself to watch silently as the larger male, Mother, forcefully drags away the unwilling smaller one, Allen, from the scene with the two disappearing just around the corner. However, both Yzak and Flay knew the two had not really left.

Uncomfortable silence, she hated them.

Flay closed her eyes and breathed in. Whether or not Mother and Allen were really listening to their conversation really did not matter to her. "What are you doing on Earth, Yzak?" She asked first.

It had been at least two months since they had last met. And suddenly running into Yzak again like this... Flay was not really sure what to think of this coincidental event.

"If you think I'm stalking you then you are wrong! I have been recently reassigned here by the councils... That's all..." Yzak explained. He knew his reassignment seemed suspicious, and it was not in his favor to be reassigned in the first place, but unfortunately for him, this was the truth.

Flay regarded Yzak warily. "Have you, really?" She wasn't sure if she should believe him. After all, it was too coincidental for Yzak to be reassigned to earth; furthermore, close to her district.

Flay waited for Yzak to say something; however, after a while, she simply exhaled, deciding that whatever reason Yzak was suddenly back on earth was none of her business.

Through Yzak's unusual silence, Flay became thoughtful for awhile.

"Here..." Flay suddenly pulled out a piece of paper within her bag and held it out to him. "I originally planned to have this burn, but since you are here... you can- may as well have this."

Curious of what it was, Yzak reached for the thing and looked at it.

In his hand was half piece of regular bond paper. It had a few hearts drawn to it with crayons. A simple smiling sun was placed at the right edge of the front page. And at the center was a stick man holding hands with a little stick girl in front of a stick house.

It was a rather simple drawing. One obviously made by a child, considering the messy lines and strokes. Yzak figured that this picture was drawn by Kaitlyn and he felt proud of her. But what Yzak did not understand was- why would Flay give this to him?

Flay turned her back on Yzak and started to walk away. She had just taken a step when Yzak held his hand out and lightly grabbed onto hers.

She stopped, but she still wasn't facing him.

"Why would-?"

"I'm guessing... You may not be aware what day tomorrow is..." Flay said simply, seeing right through him before pulling her hand away.

_What day tomorrow is? _Completely clueless, Yzak's attention fell on the drawing again, thinking hard, but nothing came to mind. He flipped the drawn piece of paper back and over again, expecting there was something more to it when, suddenly, he realized the said paper had a fold to it.

Instantly, Yzak flipped the paper open, and was complete taken aback at what he discovered.

"It's Father's Day."

00000

**_HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!_**

The card had those three words written on it in bold letters. Apparently, there were a few more blank spaces found below the text indicating it could have been extra space for a message or something, but there aren't any.

Yzak flipped the card open, then close, and then open again, repeatedly for who knows how many times that night while laying on the folding bed that he had temporary borrowed from the landlady from below. Yzak could not explain what he was doing actually, but it seems he could not get himself to put the card down, much less stop staring at it since it was given to him.

_Father's day huh..._

Yzak wondered what it's supposed to be like as he had never celebrated the occasion his entire life.

All his life, it had been his mother who took care of him. She was the one who worked, paid the bills, cooked, did the laundry, and cared for him when he was sick. She was everywhere and the only one he needed. To put it simply, his mother is a strong admirable woman.

And speaking of fathers...

He never met his, actually. He grew up not knowing anything about the man. He never knew his name or what he even looked like. There was not even a single trace of the man that could be found inside their house. It's like the man never existed. Not even his own mother, Ezalia Joule, talks about him. Furthermore, everyone who knew his dad would simply indicate that his old man was a bastard. Thus, one day, he simply stopped bring up subjects related to his father and simply forgot that he even had one.

Thus it was not the least surprising that he did not know what the occasion was like.

Yzak opened and closed the card again.

_Father's day huh..._

00000

"Ms. Flay! Ms. Flay!"

Frances rush, tripping along her slippers as quickly as she could. It was barely eight in the morning when the woman barged into Flay's bedroom sobbing with distress.

"Ms. Flay!" The woman stood adjacent to the king-sized bed shaking her mistress awake.

It was a Sunday of June.

From beneath the pile of blankets and sheets, Flay peeked out of the cover at blurry shape of the person to the neon green numbers on her alarm clock. _Seven: forty-three_. Flay groaned, burrowing back down in her bed, "What is it, Frances?"

"It's him again. The man with silver hair. He is downstairs!"

Flay bolted up at the news. She swore and swung herself from the mattress. "What does he want now?" Flay demanded, slipping on her slippers rather quickly.

"I don't know..." Frances cried. "I tried to stop him! But he said he wouldn't leave until he sees you!" The woman explained, pacing closely behind an enrage Flay who was forced to storm out from her bedroom.

_That jerk... _

Flay fussed.

_Who the hell does Yzak think he is, barging into her home whenever he feels like it and scaring the wits out of Frances! This is what she gets for being nice to him! The nerve!_

Flay descended the stairs, half running, half walking, and there was Yzak standing in the center of her living room. And to Flay's own surprise, she had managed not to sound as if she wanted to kill the _bastard_. "What are you doing here?"

Eyes with an intense color of blue stared at her, glancing down once and then snapping back to her face then away, noticing too well how Flay looked as if she had just recently climbed out off bed.

"What does it look like?" Yzak retorted. "I want to take my little girl out on her first official father's day!"

At Yzak's words, Flay's eyes lit up. She blinked a couple of times; trying to suppress whatever emotion she had felt from his remark.

He needed her permission, didn't he?


	5. A Day for Fathers

**A/Note:** Originally, I had this plan of taking them on a boring trip to the mall, but then I came across GS Suit CD 5 drama again so I was like Hmmmm…. Anyways, I don't know if this chapter is any good. It always seems bad the first time I reread a chapter.

Thank you, Hurricane Anna, Halina, missfk21, nequam-tenshi, princess_shayera, Mademoiselle, Bamboo Marbles, and androgynous for reviewing chapter 4.

I apologize for bad grammar.

Enjoy.

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 5: A Day for Fathers**

* * *

When Flay descended the stairs with her daughter beside her later that morning, Yzak was seated on the sofa of her living room waiting for her and Kaitlyn.

Seeing them ready, Yzak stood up slowly, easily, to meet them.

Yzak was tall, towering over her and his body was lean and hard from many years of strenuous training, remarkably, that it was a little disquieting when he came to up to her so close. But she couldn't let something… something like physical intimidation or personal emotion—her distrusts for him— or furthermore, their history stand between the needs of her daughter.

If at all possible, Flay Allster did not want Yzak to have any part in Kaitlyn's life. Having him in her house was perplexing enough. Likewise, _allowing him to take Kaitlyn out on Father's day…_

Flay sighed. This went against all her better judgment, but… but she couldn't say no to him when he went out on a limb like this, coming to her house so early in the morning just to make sure he gets her consent to let him take Kaitlyn out today.

It was something he was not accustomed to do, and it was clearly still difficult for him. And she just couldn't refuse him when he went through all the trouble just for a good cause.

But of course, she would never go as far as leave Kaitlyn with him alone. That would go beyond her maternal instincts.

Kaitlyn tugged on Flay's skirt while hiding behind her leg after being told by her mother to never approach Yzak again, months ago. And Flay responded by holding the little girl protectively closer to her.

"Mama, where are we going?" Kaitlyn asked innocently, practically to have forgotten that it was even a holiday, and completely unaware of the fact that Yzak was even her biological father.

"Hush." Flay playfully placed a finger on her lips. "It's a surprise."

"Can WuFei come?" Kaitlyn interestedly looked up.

Flay shook her head. "No, honey… WuFei can't come."

"Awwwww…. I will go say byebye." Kailtyn said, disappointingly heading out to the yard.

Following suit after the girl, "Frances, we will be heading out now! Be sure to lock the doors, okay!" Flay instructed, stepping out from the house with Yzak closely behind her. "So where are you planning to take us?" She asked him.

Yzak stopped at the door. He watched bemusedly as Kaitlyn was saying goodbye to the Allster family dog. The dog rushed at Kaitlyn, yapping in excited greeting as if she had been absent for years.

"I was hoping you'd tell me where Kaitlyn would like to go…"

Flay was forced to look at Yzak for a short moment, a bit surprised that he was even opening up for suggestions.

"Well, we could go to the amusement park." Flay suggested. "Kaitlyn always wanted to ride the Merry-Go-Round." She revealed. Kaitlyn, apparently, had wanted to ride it ever since she had heard her classmates bragging about it.

_The Merry-Go-Round?_

Yzak's forehead scrunched up. Never have he been so disgusted in his life. "Only wimps ride those things!"

00000

At first, when Yzak had said Merry-Go-Rounds were for wimps, Flay had thought he had purposely said it to piss her off. However, never would she have imagined he had been completely serious; serious enough to go as far as choosing an alternative. Furthermore, to have driven them to a local guest ranch located two hours away from the city when the amusement park would have taken only half the time.

"Yzak, you can't be serious…."

"Waaaahhh! A pony!" Kaitlyn tugged on her mother's hand, prancing on tiptoe in her eagerness to get a closer look at the horses.

Flay obeyed her daughter's insistent tugs and hurried across the fence, clutching Kaitlyn's hand tightly.

Kaitlyn could only wow in amazement while watching several horseback riders crossed the tan with the magnificent animal.

Eager to ride one too, "Mama. Mama, I want to ride a pony! Please… Mama, can I ride a pony?" Kaitlyn pleaded with her eyes with mouth, pouting like a little puppy. It was a face Flay only knew too well. It was the exact expression she often used to use when she wanted something badly, as a little girl. And through experience, it had worked like a charm on adults, especially her father, considering how cute she was.

Just by looking at the Kaitlyn, Flay was in a fix. She was forced to look back to where the horses were with a dash of uncertainty. "I don't know… It looks dangerous." It was not like she didn't want Kaitlyn to enjoy herself. She was just worried for her safety as live horses do not give the same amount of security as plastic ones.

"Please, mama…." Kaitlyn continued begging.

Flay bit her lower lip.

"We did not come all this way just so you could turn her down, you know." Yzak muttered, coming from behind them. "And besides, I assure you its safe… This place is a notable tourist spot. The horses here are tamed."

Flay wasn't convince though, maybe because of her distrust of him, but despite what she thought, Yzak knelt down to Kaitlyn's level and then smiled at the little girl. "Why don't we find you a nice pony?"

"Really!" Kaitlyn jumped up all excited; took Yzak's hand and followed him to the junior's stables.

And just like that, all of Flay's effort of warning Kaitlyn to stay away from the silver-haired man had slipped through the little girl's mind in an instant.

00000

"What about this one?"

Flay hugged herself protectively as she passed a long row of young horses, revolted at the thought of some putrid animal breathing down on her skin. However, she forced herself to cheerlessly follow a distance away from the two as Yzak lead Kaitlyn to a piebald pony.

Kaitlyn giggled as the pony raised her head and whined softly, and gave a well-bred shiver when the little girl stroked the silk length of her nose. "She's so pretty, Uncle Yzak."

"I thought you'd think so…. She'll be riding this one." Yzak told the person in charge, letting the man assist them by taking the piebald pony out from the stable.

Back outside, Flay leaned her elbows on a dry wooden fence surrounding the park.

Flay frowned, watching Kaitlyn enjoy Yzak's company as the two were having fun… As a matter of fact, she felt rather jealous. This was actually the first time she had seen the two of them together like this. Yzak and Kaitlyn looked more like father and daughter than she as her mother. Furthermore, the two of them had more in common that she would have imagined.

Yzak even bought her one of those decorative cowboy hats that was now covering the few locks of Kaitlyn's short hair in cute pigtails. Kaitlyn apparently like the gift very much.

"Look, mama. I'm riding a real pony!" The cheery little girl waved while being mounted onto her horse along with rest of the other children.

From the outer field, Flay put up a smile and waved back.

Moments later, Yzak also made his way out to join Flay at the borders. And the two watched side by side as the wards in charge of the children guided them away.

"If something were to happen to Kaitlyn…. I swear -…." Flay warned Yzak while still looking at the direction where the children had disappeared to.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? I told you its completely safe. As if I would want to hurt my own daughter!"

Flay shrugged her shoulders. To be honest, a part of her knew already that Yzak would never dare hurt Kaitlyn. If he did, he would have done it ages ago, but he didn't. Actually, Flay knew the reason why she was suddenly being uncivil. It's because she was jealous of him and at the same time scared that Kaitlyn may actually like him more than she liked her.

Flay pushed herself away from the fence. "You know what, forget it…. You would never understand….. I'll be waiting for Kaitlyn at the back. Please, take us home after the ride is over." Flay turned to leave, but Yzak had caught her arm before she could walk away. His hand was squeezing her arm in a tight grip, forcing her to turn back around and face him.

"What the hell is your problem?"

_Her problem?... Her problem?... Her problem was she's jealous; she doesn't want Kailtyn hanging around with Yzak anymore; and that Kaitlyn may fall down and get hurt!_ "My problem is I'm afraid my daughter may fall down and get hurt!"

This made Yzak frown. He grunted at her reasoning. "Such groundless worries... You sound like you never even ridden on a horse before!"

Flay was forced to looked up at Yzak as if he was crazy for even suggesting such a ridiculous thing. However, whatever was that she had to say didn't seem to matter as Yzak was now pulling her along with him by her wrist.

"Where are you taking me? Let go of me!"

"We are going riding!"

They went. Flay was roughly following behind Yzak's long quick strides when they finally reached the confinement of the stables. Flay's heart sank a little when she saw the horses awaiting her.

"Go ahead and take your pick." Yzak instructed her simply before disappearing into the back to find his own horse.

Was it really that simple? Why was she to choose a horse for herself? Flay gulped, acknowledging the long line of adult horses. Of course, her first instinct was to look for a small and timid horse. She folded her arms again feeling a sudden chill in the room before glancing around.

A few moments later, Yzak returned with a lively Cossack gelding with fine lines and a refined high-stepping movement. Even the reins of the black seemed to be made with fine grain and supple feel of leather. _Fine tack for a fine animal,_ Flay reflected, but it didn't surprise her that Yzak would select only the best. There was something fastidious about him, it was impossible to imagine him coming into contact with, let alone owning, anything rough or inferior.

"Have you chosen one yet?" Yzak asked a little impatient.

Flay bit her lower lip. "That one..." She pointed to the white mare to her left. It was not exactly the small and timid she was looking for, but it was…. close.

The staff looked at Yzak for his consent, presuming he and Flay were intimate.

Yzak gave a simple nod.

The staff nodded back and took the white out from its confine, leading all of them out to the square.

"Is there anything else I could assist you with, sir?" the staff asked.

"No, that would be all." Yzak told the male. The staff nodded at this and left their side. Once the male staff had gone, "alright, get on!"

Flay's eyes became wide. "You mean now… like this?"

"What did you expect?" Yzak's brow furrowed.

Flay was forced to step back, away from the white. "I- I can't… I'm wearing a skirt."

This made Yzak pause, for a moment, to look at her legs to acknowledge the skirt and heels Flay was indeed wearing.

"It's fine." Yzak murmured.

Flay on the other hand, disagreed and shook her head. "I can't possibly ride a horse in them…"

"I said, its fine!" Yzak was glaring at her hesitance. "Don't tell me you're scared of a horse." He said taunting.

Flay turned to Yzak, completely taken aback. Was she really that obvious? "Don't be silly... Why would I be scared of a horse?" She said, reaching an uneasy hand over the velvety nose of the animal in front of them. But even before she could touch the mare, Flay involuntary pulled her hand back, reflexively, when the white tossed her head which set its reins jingling.

Yzak was forced to roll his eyes. He should have known.

Flay could only watch in amazement as Yzak took over. His voice was soft in reassurance. He moved one hand down the mare's neck while the other stroked the velvety nose. The white raised her head, whined softly, and gave a well-bred shiver when the animal nuzzled his palm.

"Quit stalling and get on!" He ordered and Flay nodded her head in some sort of panic; his harsh tone pushed her into hurrying to one side of the horse.

Flay place both her hand on the leather saddle in attempt to pull herself up with failed effort. A second later, she took a step back and tried again, failing for the second time. Flay swore softly. She shifted to her left then paused. Then she shifted to her right before pausing again. It was a confusing sight.

Yzak looked at her sharply. "What are you doing?" He demanded, outrage, and astonishment on his face.

Flay felt her fingers curl up at her side. Yzak's strong voice unnerved her and she tried to control herself by not meeting his gaze. Instead, she simply continued to stare down at the saddle, the contraption that she had come to hate. "I'm trying-….."

"Just get on the horse already!"

"Would you stop yelling at me? I don't know how to, okay!" Flay shrieked causing Yzak to stifle from surprise, looking like as if he had just been verbally slapped by her.

"Is there a problem, sir?" One of the staff urgently came over as the two seemed to be riling up quite a commotion.

Yzak looked over his own shoulder, completely ignoring the people around them who were looking at him with ill-willed eyes. "NO, there isn't a problem!" He growled, sending the man away, which the man did, eventually.

A moment later of watching Flay respiring for breath, "Give me your hand." Yzak said.

Flay narrowed her brows at Yzak's extended hand still partially pissed at him. "Why should I—?" she argued, but Yzak took her hand anyway, and soon enough he was helping her mount.

"If you didn't know how to- you should have at least said something! Put your left leg up first… easy…"

"I would have… but you just kept on insisting and yelling, assuming I knew how!"

He held her hand and gave her a leg up into the saddle until she was settled on it, feeling the animal's broad back shift beneath her.

"Comfortable?" Yzak ran practice hands over the girths and stirrup leathers, checking the security and fit of the one and the length of the other.

"I suppose… It's adequate." Flay frowned down at him, unable to disguise her fear in her mount or the thought of her falling off while trying the mare's paces.

After awhile, Yzak swung onto his own horse. Yzak guided her solid mount through the thronged street tan, the board band of sandy soil running along the paved coach path around the park.

They rode out off the square; her horse pranced delicately besides Yzak's, following at a rested distance with a strap from her horse attached to his mount.

Yzak watched covertly to see how Flay handled the horse, who he thought was probably more highly strung than what regular riders are more accustomed to handling, but he saw quickly that his vigilance was unnecessary; her hands were light but firm in the reins, despite the fact that she was obviously scared.

"So, I'm guessing you ride often…" Flay said, trying to start up a conversation.

The thought of horseback riding with Yzak would have been nice if she liked him, or maybe it would have been nice too if she wasn't so terrified.

Smoothly they turned, passing under the shade of a magnificent row of trees.

"I rode a couple of times."

"On Earth?"

"On PLANTs!" Yzak unwelcoming corrected her that it gave Flay a hard time adding to it.

"I see…." Flay went silent after awhile, unable to think of what else was there for them to talk about.

"You are worried about Kaitlyn, right?"

Flay eyed bemusedly at Yzak, but said nothing.

"Look ahead."

Flay looked up. A party of three moving horses with wards trotted down the tan in front of the two of them. One was a boy in a scarlet coat; the second was a girl in civilian riding dress. Kaitlyn was the other.

They were talking and laughing, probably playing make belief at the same time. A little prickle of excitement ran up the back of Flay's neck. And she couldn't help but smile at the sight of Kailtyn having so much fun with the other children.

Suddenly, a part of her felt guilty for taking out her own insecurity on Yzak.

"Kaitlyn seems to be enjoying herself."

"She is a lot tougher than you think."

"I know…" Flay breathed in. "I fear, she might have inherited that trait from you." She replied, concluding that having Yzak take them horseback riding may not be as bad as she would have expected.

After making three rounds around the wide area, Kaitlyn who was helped down from her horse came to them running while Yzak reached up a hand to Flay. She slipped gracefully from the saddle and smoothed down her skirt.

"Waa! Mama rode on a horsy too!" The girl jumped with joy. "Uncle Yzak too!"

Flay could only smile at her cheerful daughter while Yzak went off to return the horses. "Yes, mama rode one too. So did you have fun?" Flay asked still; despite the fact, she already knew the answer.

Kaitlyn actively nodded her head. "Yes, mama! It was great…" She was waving her arms around, gesturing energetically as she started sharing how it was like— riding ponies together with the other children.

00000

Hours later after the sun had set…

"You see that bright third star over there… that is where uncle Yzak lives." Yzak pointed up at the sky towards Martius City.

Flay's lips curved up a little while watching Yzak's determined attempt to show Kaitlyn PLANTs. Unlike the two who were on the grass, she was sitting at a table behind them with an elbow up supporting her chin.

This scene certainly brought back memories, Flay thought. It was like this too when she and her father celebrated fathers day. Only, they would sit on a park bench, eat sweets and watch a wonderful display of fireworks.

_Swoosh!_

Everyone looked up in surprised as the first set of fireworks decorated the night sky.

"WOW! Pretty!" Kaitlyn exclaimed, witnessing her first firework.

When an ice-cream vendor came up to them, Flay watched Kaitlyn rummage through the box of ice selecting something sweet to eat. Yzak also took one from the box. And then at that moment, Flay was forced to blink.

For a fraction of a second, she could have sworn she was looking at her father and at herself from years before. Her father smiled at her.

"_Which one do you want, Flay?"_

"Daddy…" Flay unconsciously called under her breath.

Her eyes grew moist as she saw her father's likeness. Her father had been gone for approximately four years now then suddenly here he was, right in front of her. But could it be him or was she dreaming?

"Flay, do you want one or not?" Yzak's voice snapped, bringing her back to reality.

There came another flare of colors.

Flay shook her head and charily wiped off the tear when she was sure no one was watching. She thanked God it was dark that no one had noticed. Because she would never forgive herself, if Kaitlyn's day was ruined; just because she couldn't keep her emotions under control.

00000

Nine pm.

Back at the Allster residence, Yzak followed Flay up to the threshold with a sleeping girl on his arms while, for an interminable time, waiting for Flay to open the front door.

Once the door was open, they were met by Frances who was already waiting for them.

Shifting from the house help to Yzak, "Frances can take over from here." Flay said lightly, not wanting to wake up Kaitlyn. And with that said, she watched Yzak obediently yet gently passed Kaitlyn to the plump-looking woman with care, not wanting to wake the little girl as well.

"Thank you for today. You have made Kaitlyn very happy." She neither smiled nor frowned, turning to Yzak as Frances carried Kaitlyn upstairs. "I guess… we will be seeing you around…"

Yzak simply nodded, and with that, he left to the direction of his car.

Flay closed the door behind her and leaned on it for a fraction of a moment. She was alone, _finally_. She was alone…. Flay made a long deep sighed; pulled herself up and padded silently out of the living room and into a room located at the back. She stood at the door, glanced around the darkened room before turning on the light, which now barely lit up the area.

She glided her fingers across the long table, passing the couch and bookshelf that had not been used for years, and the old vase that no longer hold flowers near the dark old empty fireplace.

At the edge of the room, Flay opened a closet, revealing a short row of formal coats which was aligned accordingly from dark to light. There were made from fine fabrics, tailored specifically by famous designers. Flay couldn't help but glide an elegant finger down one of its exquisite lengths.

Flay smiled a little, remembering how her father had worn it. The warmth it had radiated when he had held her. That's when she felt the tears she had desperately held back earlier began to fall. She could still smell the smoke from her father's pipe as she ran her hand through the garment. It was more than she could stand.

She sank down to the carpeted floor in front of the dresser. A sob wrenched her chest, and she held her father's coat to her chest and clutched close to the front of her dress in a death grip, squeezing her eyes shut and started to cry.

"Daddy…. I miss you…"

She couldn't have held the tears in even if she had wanted to. Her ribcage would collapse under the pressure and pierce right through her aching heart. Her stomach began to hurt with the strain of it.

Desperate not to wake Kaitlyn and Frances and cause a scene, she tried with all her might to get her breathing regulated, but found it was only getting worse. The sobbing wouldn't subside. In fact, she was sobbing uncontrollably now.

Until she stifled, when she became suddenly aware of a presence behind her... Her eyes flew open as she recognized the sound of the door sliding open. She wasn't alone as she had thought. She knew without even turning around that it was him... it was Yzak.

00000

"Flay, are you in here? You left your purse in the car!" Yzak partially growled.

He walked in carefully and glanced around the low lit room that was laboriously furnished with several floor lamps, a large wooden desk, a bookcase, a dresser, mostly everything covered in dust.

Upon entering, Yzak didn't see Flay right away, and Flay had an insane urge to use that opportunity to crawl behind something to hide. But seconds later, Yzak turned his head slightly and caught the sight of her. His smile from earlier faded as he went stock still.

Yzak's eyes flew open as he saw her on the floor. He felt his heart drop as he heard a very familiar whimpering voice fill the room...and recognized it. _She was crying again…. _For some ill-fated reason, she had always been crying. He had seen her do countless of times. And every time, he would just simply walk away and leave her in the broken state, pretending that he never noticed. Just like what he was about to do now.

_Some things just never change….._

"I'll just leave this here…"

Yzak placed the purse down on an old table and turned around to leave. He took a couple steps towards the exit before stopping adeptly. He breathed in, closing his eyes and opening them again at the sound of her cries echoing through his ears.

She was barely breathing, she was so upset. Yzak felt like something inside him was going to break. She had been crying too… when he had done _it_….

Only a blind person wouldn't notice the numerous framed photographs of a once powerful man with his little girl hanged on every inch of the walls. Furthermore, those who paid attention to politics would know that that powerful man by all mean was infamously blasted to bits along with many others amid the confusions of the first war.

One glimpse of the room, and anyone could tell instantly how close father and daughter had been. What was more unfortunate was, the man had died at an age where his daughter had needed him most- at a stage, where she was still unready to lose him.

The truth couldn't be more evident. And Yzak understood everything completely now.

_She was crying over her father…_

This room was Atlantic Federation former Vice Foreign Minister _George Allster's study…_

And today was Father's day…

_War is the worst… It is greedy and selfish…. _The war may have been long over, but there are just some things that will forever be lost with it. He should know when he had lost numerous friends and comrades, too many to count, to the harshness of war.

"Flay…." He knew her pain. Okay, maybe he didn't…. After all, he never lost a father. But he knew what it was like to lose someone so dear.

00000

Flay gave a pathetic whimper and covered her face with her hands. She still couldn't completely control her sobbing, however, it was made even worse by the fact that she had never been so mortified in her life. She almost didn't care how horrible she looked, and wished Yzak would simply go away….

She heard Yzak step closer to where she was sitting on the floor. She didn't turn around, afraid to look at him. He in turn, simply stood there for a moment longer, apparently unsure of what he should do... but he didn't say a word. _He couldn't…_

_Why hadn't he gone home like he is supposed to?_

"Please, just leave me alone!" Flay sobbed, wishing him away… wishing the pain to go away. "Just leave me alone…."

After a few moment passed, granted, she felt his ground shift.

Just when she was beginning to think he was going to turn and leave, she instead felt him lower himself slowly to one knee on the floor next to her and jumped slightly as his hand came to rest gently on her back.

The contact was hesitant and unsure of its welcome, but the mere feel of a comforting touch made her sobs grow worse, leading her emotions to crumble completely.

He had practically put his arm around her now, and she leaned back instinctively as she felt the warm, strong pressure across her shoulders. He pulled a bit, tentatively urging her closer, and before she could think about anything she was crying into his shirt. This seemed to erase all traces of uncertainty from his mind, and before long his other arm had come up to enclose her in an embrace.

Flay didn't think about anything, but merely poured all her sorrow out into the stillness of the room, encouraged by the warm body from which she was now drawing strength. She didn't care who she was leaning on or why. All she knew was that she just didn't want to be alone. _Anything_ was better than feeling that lost again.

Yzak had shifted to a sitting position, and was holding Flay loosely while she cried. His hands stroked her back and smoothed her hair, and he didn't say a single word.

It seemed to Flay that they sat there like that for hours and hours, until finally her weeping subsided and she merely rested her head weakly on his shoulder as she stared into the ground, exhausted.

Everything around her seemed to come to a blur.

"I should be heading to bed." Flay mumbled almost to herself.

And without asking questions, Yzak gently stood and helped her to her feet as she wobbled helplessly. He was practically holding her up as he walked her towards the stairs.

00000

When Flay woke up the next morning, it was with a renewed sense of unease that she couldn't put a name to. She brought a hand up to her face and blinked. She glanced out the window with sleepy eyes, and saw that the sun had not fully risen yet. She had cried her heart out last night. All her tears had dried off. The nice thing was she felt relatively fine. And considering it was Monday, she knew it would be no good to try and go back to sleep again. And so, she grabbed a robe from her closet and headed downstairs to start the day.

Once there, she looked in the dim light and suddenly stopped in her tracks, greatly surprised Yzak was still there. He was lying on the couch, fast asleep, head propped on the armrest.

Flay walked a bit closer, her heart beating like mad in her chest. _Why would he do this? ... Why had he slept all night on an old couch and not go back to his place like should have?_

As though he felt her standing there, Yzak started slightly as he woke. He squinted up at her then rubbed his eyes and pushed himself to a sitting position; scratched his head and shrugged.

"What time is it?" He asked in a gravelly voice.

"I think it's about a quarter to six."

He nodded and then looked down at the floor as if in search for something.

"What are you still doing here?" Flay asked just before realization had hit her… and then she remembered why with such vivid clarity as the fog of sleepiness lifted from her brain.

A wave of shame hit her so hard that she unconsciously took a few steps back.

She had lost control crying over her father the night before, and Yzak had seen it. Not only had he seen it, but he had held her. And she had reacted by literally hanging on him. After going through a great effort of rebuilding her life, it had been a complete wonder to her—how easy it was for her to feel like wanting to die then.

_Why couldn't he have just left her alone? Why couldn't he have just minded his own business?_

Any moment now, he would naturally scoff at her about how Naturals are so pathetic or weak, similar to what had happened inside the Vesalius, four years back, after he had seen her breakdown like that.

_Here it comes…_ Flay forced herself to look away, anticipating the unwanted memory.

"….. ' must have accidentally fallen asleep…. Are you alright now?"

Flay's eyes flew wide in shock. She could only nod. She certainly didn't see that coming… And in an instant, she felt dizzy. She was so confused… and it was so early….

She didn't know what to say, think, feel... Confusingly, for someone who had caused pain in her life… Last night, Yzak had practically comforted her. And for the first time in her life, Flay actually felt sorry for him. He must have been at complete loss as to what to do with her. He must have felt exhausted from trying to help and simply fell asleep on her couch. And she showed her thanks by interrogating him- why he was still inside her house?….

However, something just seemed rather off. _'Are you alright now?'_ It sounded like he was expecting her …. _Could it be?_ Flay held her breath. Only then did it drawn to her that maybe Yzak had stayed over for another reason. And when she finally managed to put two and two together, she held a hand to her mouth and simply kept a smile to herself.

"Thank you for caring..."

All of the sudden, Yzak seemed to become uneasy under her intense scrutiny, so he stood up; glanced away, unseeing. "I don't know what the hell you are talking about…"

She was sure that he was lying though. He was playing it off as though it had been an accident, but she knew why he had done it. He had stayed down here and slept on an uncomfortable couch, so that he would be available in case she needed him.

Yzak made to walk past her on his way out the door. But before she could think about what she was doing. "Wait!" She called out suddenly causing him to halt.

"What is it?"

Flay stepped a bit closer to him to look him in the face even though he was still staring straight ahead of him. To be honest, she didn't know what she wanted to say. There were so many words jumbled in her head, and none of them could seem to make their way successfully to her mouth. "If you are not in a hurry, would you like to have breakfast?"

There was a pause there, and Yzak looked as if he really has been giving her invitation some thought… before he shrugged.

"I'll just buy something on the way."


	6. A Frozen Moment

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 6: A Frozen Moment**

* * *

"B284 clear!"

"B285 clear!"

"Missile B281 to B285 have been successfully disarmed, sir." The technician who came forward announced after reassessing the progress.

"Yes. Good. Keep up that speed." Devon Amsden, the head Engineer acknowledged, gesturing everyone to continue with work until the final whistle blew causing everyone to stop at what they were doing. "Well that's it for today." The big man turned his attention to Yzak, who was updating the DTW project data on his portable computer.

DTW is short for Operation Disarm the World. It was the project acceded by the congress to remove all the nuclear warheads. This was unfortunately the project Yzak was assigned to monitor, despite his objections.

Operation DTW has been in progress for over three weeks now.

"We'll be closing this section within a few minutes. Will you be coming with us, boy?"

Yzak glared up at Amsden, the man calls him _boy _just because he was ten to thirty years younger than his entire crew, no matter how many times he argued with him not to be called that.

"No. I will run through everything again as usual." Yzak told him.

Amsden frowned. "You distrust us that much."

"I just want to make sure!"

The man scratched the back of his head, eyes moving away. "Do what you want. I'm in no position to stop you anyway." And with that, Amsden took his leave together with the rest of his team while Yzak headed toward the other way.

_Distrust huh. _Yzak snarled. Well, how was he supposed to trust the people who tried to shoot down PLANTs, his home, not once but twice already?

Yzak shook his head. _Trust or distrust…._ _Whatever_. All that matters was that he had a job to do, process to monitor, and he was going to make sure everything was done right.

In a while, Yzak made his usual round inside the vicinity and scanned the missiles in check, one by one, making sure that every single warhead was indeed dismantled to core making them completely dysfunctional in battle.

Once he was satisfied with the result, he made his way out, passing hall after hall until he stopped, overhearing a conversation that was taking place inside one of the men's changing room.

Motionless, Yzak stood unseeingly by the open door.

"…. I don't know… What if those Coordinators are actually deceiving us? Here we are dismantling our super weapons while they could be frolicking around, just waiting for the chance to strike an attack." One of the men argued.

"But aren't Kai, Rey and Antony up on PLANTs right now, making sure the military there is disarmed as well?"

"Ren… Our poor innocent Ren…" One of the men tsked. "For all we know, those Coordinators can not be trusted. Remember GENESIS? The huge gamma-ray laser that those Coordinators built…?"

"Yeah?"

"Right. That blasted laser killed a million of our men and destroyed Ptolemaeus lunar base! Only those who are so eager for war would have created such a monstrous weapon."

Yzak's fists tightened, feeling his temper rise. _Those assholes_ managed to make it sound like PLANTs were the only ones who were capable of creating such a destructive weapon! When in fact, Earth Allaince was no different!

_What about OMNI's Requiem that destroyed Januarius 1 to 4 and caused December 7 and 8 to collapse, leading to the deaths of over a million Coordinators?_

"But wasn't GENESIS destroyed at the end of the first Bloody Valentine war?"

"Yes, but those blasted Coordinators could be rebuilding it as we speak."

"So we all agree that we are just wasting our time then! …. I mean… With or without GENESIS, if those Coordinators really wanted another war, they could easily smuggle weaponry from illegal sources without Atlantic Federation knowing. And if that time comes, we will only be too defenceless to defend ourselves against them!"

"I agree with you there."

"So what do you propose us to do? Conceal nuclear warheads against orders?"

"We could do that. Unless, you are really dumb enough to believe that 'ZAFT will disarm if OMNI will disarm with us' line Lacus Clyne broadcasted."

"As if…. Lacus Clyne is nothing but a fake."

"No kidding. I mean, one, why would PLANTs assign some former pop-star on the Chair? Two, she's too young and three, what would that _girl _know about politics?"

"Obviously, PLANTs is playing with us."

"Then it's settled…. So how do you guys propose we conceal warheads from that Joule guy who keeps double checking everything?"

That was it. This was the last straw.

Yzak stormed in, letting his presence known. He knew that it would take much more than words to convince them otherwise. And confronting these _imbeciles _now would be a lost cause; however, he could no longer just stand there in the shadows and listen to them bad mouth about PLANTs, Coordinators, or Lacus all which he was so proud of and do nothing!

Yzak punched the door frame causing the men to turn heads, surprised at the fact he was there.

"PLANTs will definitely keep our end of the bargain!"

00000

When Saturday came, Yzak couldn't help but feel exhausted from stress. Ever since he overheard Amsden's crew converse back at the military locker room, he had been going over every detail twice as much, mentally stressing over unwanted betrayal, and disquieting over the consequence of another war.

"Ms. Flay and Kaitlyn are at the back, Mr. Joule." Frances told him.

Kaitlyn, upon hearing the door bell, immediately, ran out from the kitchen and into the living room dressed in a blue sundress with white leggings.

"Uncle Yzak!" Kaitlyn called, excitedly, running toward him. And Yzak, was only to please to receive her with open arms.

"Who's my favorite girl?"

"Kaitlyn!" The girl shouted her own name and threw her hands up as Yzak lifted her onto his arms. Apparently, she was the only thing he looked forward to after an aggravating day of work.

Impatient to go, "Flay, are you done yet?" Yzak called to her, reverting to his hot-tempered voice.

00000

From the back.

Unfazed by Yzak's tone, "Yes. Yes. I'm coming." Flay announced calmly, grabbing her bag on the counter, pacing from the kitchen to the living room then out the front door where the two had already gone.

Apparently, it has been like this for several weeks…. Not counting the days when he comes over to check on Kaitlyn, Yzak coming along with them on their regular weekend stroll to the park was turning into a routine.

Each week has been like clockwork, Kaitlyn would anticipate for Yzak's arrival. And Yzak for a start has never been late. Once, the two were together, Yzak would yell for her to hurry as though the day would end immediately if she didn't.

The funny thing was- every time he yelled at her; Before the anger would hit her, Flay would be reminded of how he had comforted her and stayed over on his own just in case she needed his shoulder to cry on again.

Although still a man with his temper, he meant no harm. Yzak turned out to be really different from what she first thought of him at war. Flay smiled to herself.

"Took you long enough!"

"As always…." Flay tucked her skirt and crouched down. "WuFei, here boy." Flay called, attaching a leash to her dog's harness when it neared her.

And after a while, they took a walk together to the nearest park. Yzak and Kaitlyn were holding hands in front while Flay walked WuFei a few feet behind them…. This particular arrangement, Flay didn't mind so much anymore since she knew by the end of the day, Kailtyn would be going home with her, not with him.

Once the sunlight had slanted a little more, they stopped at the playground, letting Kaitlyn freely roam around with Wufei following close behind her.

It was then Flay stole a glance at Yzak, the first time she looked at him again since earlier.

_He looked tired now. He hadn't been getting enough sleep, _she realized. The dark circles under his eyes sort of gave that little detail away.

"Yzak, is something bothering you?" Flay asked, breaking the silence. She couldn't help but notice too well how Yzak was watching Kaitlyn so attentively as if he would lose her any minute.

Yzak froze for a second, and then his eyes narrowed. "No." he lied, answering too quickly, only to realize a bit too late that he already gave himself away. After a few second of silence, Yzak sighed. "How long do you think this peace will last?"

Flay turned to him a bit startled before turning her attention back to Kaitlyn and WuFei playing at the jungle gym with the slide. Flay closed her eyes, breathed in, and opened them again. If she were to have one wish— it would be for Kailtyn to never have to experience war and go through what she did. "I know this may sound idealistic, but… Honestly, I hope peace would go on forever."

Indifferent, Yzak glanced at Flay from the corner of his eyes. "That does sound idealistic." He said, flatly, causing Flay to merely shrug.

Truth was- long lasting peace seemed impossible at the moment. Prediction has it that another war could escalate again at anytime if PLANT and Earth Alliance is unable to come up with ways to reduce rebellious factions from forming.

But he did not argue with her anymore because sincerely, though unrealistic, he hoped peace would last that long as well….

"Look, mommy! That girl has a strange hair color." A little boy about four pointed towards the jungle gym causing the mother to turn head, including Yzak and Flay.

"Tomtom, don't get too close." The woman in her late twenties warned, pulled and firmed her hold on her boy. "That girl is a filth—"

"A what? I dare you to say it to my face!" Yzak roared, angrily, interrupting the woman before she could finish. Not before throwing her a glare so threatening that could probably give one a heart attack.

It was like running into chaos. Yzak was nothing but intimidating when he stepped up. Everything about him just seemed to have set in ablaze. An aspect of him, Flay only knew too well.

"Well?" Yzak waited for the woman, whose head barely reached his chest, to speak up. But she didn't … she couldn't actually… not when Yzak looked as if he would hit her after one word.

Tension. That was all there was.

It was within this fraction of a moment that Kaitlyn retreated to her mother.

And after a few seconds more, the woman decided to throw in the towel. She took her little boy without saying another word and left, mostly out of fear, and the need to protect her son from the dangerous looking Coordinator.

With that done, nothing could convince Yzak otherwise that _Kaitlyn belongs in PLANTs_.

Feet behind Yzak, with arms protectively around Kailtyn, Flay could not help but watch the scene that took place before her with wide eyes. She was a little bit shock… part grateful… no. definitely grateful that it was over when Yzak had driven the woman away without another word.

"Yzak,… You didn't have to…." She said to him honestly yet sounding a little frightened. Really, he didn't have to.

True, Naturals were no longer as harsh towards Coordinators as they used to be before the war. Most of them overcame that intense hatred and grew to accept Coordinators overtime while some others simply decided to keep their lingering dislike to themselves.

It wasn't much… However, it was a start.

But sometimes incident such as this were just inevitable. And despite, how infuriated it made Flay feel listening to people throw their insults towards her and her daughter, she had learned to simply let it go. She concluded that it was better this way than to start a petty fight that may probably lead her daughter and herself into harms way. Also, recently, she's been instructing Kaitlyn to do the same.

Apparently, Yzak doesn't share the same insight as her. And Flay wasn't sure whether she should be glad or fearful about it.

"And what? Let them just say those things?" Yzak snapped, planting a hand to his hip. Flay may have her own way of dealing these kind of situations, but as for him… There was no way he was going to stay silent and let people freely say these foolish things; not when his around; not to him nor toward the people he cares for.

Flay watched him for awhile, letting the truth settle. Flay knew Yzak was not a bad person despite his rough and aggressive methods. They simply had a different way of protecting the ones they love, that's all.

And just when Yzak thought the commotion was over; Flay let out an honest muffled laugh.

"Thank you…. For looking out for Kaityn."

_Hmph._ Yzak threw his head back, appearing offended._ What kind of person does Flay think he is? Of course, he would look after Kailtyn; he cares too much about her, not to! Furthermore, 'what the hell was so frustratingly funny?' _Yzak wanted to shout back but before he could… He was instantly frozen by the sight of Flay glancing back at him.

For a brief moment, it was like the whole world had stopped spinning on it's axis for reasons he could not explain.

_Now, this was just ridiculous!_

It was not like he had never seen Flay before, moreover, glancing at him! But here he was just standing there completely in awe at the sight of her as if he was actually seeing _her_ for the very first time….

Yzak had to admit Flay was pretty. And his attraction to her was extraordinary, yes. But there was a big gap between fancying someone and actually liking them. At least for him… And there, of course, exists an even wider line towards the prospect of being in love.

Remarkably, it was the way she simultaneously looked back at him; the way her head was tilted to the side, and the way her eyes showed a sense of ease that surprised him. Just by looking at her, every burden within his chest seemed to have lifted completely. And he felt light at the same time anxious as a small shiver crawl up the back of his neck that soon ignited something in his cheeks.

_She was smiling…._ She was smiling directly at him for the first time. And _shit,_ never had he imagined Flay could be this _breathtakingly beautiful._

00000

_Ring…. Ring…. Ring…._

_Ring… Ring…. Ring…._

It was still dark out when the small mobile device lit up, disturbing the blond who woke up two minutes later to the noise of his cellular phone.

Approximately, two: forty-five a.m. PLANTs hours… In bed, Dearka groggily peeked at the small vibrating object on his bedside table and groaned. He reached for the blatant thing, unbothered to sit up, and held it to his ear after pressing the receive button.

"Dearka, what the hell do I do?" Yzak yelled from the other end, followed by many other words before Deaka could even mutter a single hello.

Dearka drowsily blinked a few times. He was clueless, but detached at the same time. Yzak did catch him at a bad hour…

"Yzak, it's three in the morning here…." Noticing the time, Dearka droned when he had the chance to interrupt.

_Yzak can be so inconsiderate at times…._

Dearka knew Yzak was well aware that he was supposed to be up before five, obviously. But unfortunately for him, his buddy doesn't seem to care about this little detail and simply kept on going… He was muttering a whole lot of words so fast that everything Yzak said seem to have just flew across his ears completely.

And after a minute of this _blah blah blah_, Dearka who has yet recovered from the haze of sleepiness unconsciously doze off, cancelling the call accordingly with his limp fingers like absentmindedly tapping the snooze button of an alarm clock.

_Ring…. Ring….Ring…_

_Ring…. Ring….Ring…_

Dearka felt the vibration on his blanket. Groggily, he went to answer it again, "….. Hello?"

"DON'T HANG-UP ON ME, YOU IDIOT!"

_Ouch… Literally. _Dearka pulled his ear away from the cellular phone before leaning back in, now, completely aware of the stillness of his room and Yzak's respiring breathe on the other end.

Dearka ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "Damn, Yzak…." He was referring to how the male yelled at his poor eardrum and the sleep, which seem to have now left him. But of course, he knew Yzak wouldn't' apologize for something like this, and he was not expecting him to. Knowing Yzak, he would actually turn the whole thing around, and blame it on him instead by saying: _It's all your fault and-_

"Dearka,…. I think…. I like Flay."

_No_, that's not what Yzak would ha- "What did you just say?"


	7. Be Still

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait. I've been really busy lately... It was fan fiction vs. real life and my real life is my obvious priority. Sigh... I'm currently sick with a cold too... I just hope this chapters isn't too much of a mess.

Anyways, here's chapter 7. Hope you guys enjoy.

Hint of the day: "Jokes**"** are half meant. =)

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 7: Be Still**

* * *

With phone still at hand, sleep deprived, Dearka let out a tired yawn as he grabbed a tray of breakfast from the neatly arranged pile from the mess hall counter.

"Yzak, calm down….. Are you calm yet?" The blond spoke through the receiver after listening to Yzak making a ruckus on the other end.

Normally, inconsequential use of phones was forbidden inside military grounds, but early mornings, breaks, and late nights were an exception.

"How the hell am I suppose to calm down! This wasn't supposed to happen! It's a hindrance! I'm not suppose to like her!" Yzak continued a little panicked. "I was only suppose to get into her good side until she trusts me enough to let me adopt Kaitlyn!"

Still tired, Dearka frowned while listening. "Oh. Was there a plan? I thought you had given up on that already…." He yawned.

"Of course, I haven't! Kaitlyn belongs in PLANTs period! Why do you think I've been keeping in touch with Flay for! Flay?" Yzak exasperated causing Dearka to glance up at air, giving that some much thought.

"Hmm… Maybe something like that…." He joked causing Yzak to furiously hang up on him, not long after calling him an _asshole_.

Upon hearing the detached tone, Dearka glanced down at his phone toward the broken connection. He somewhat expected something like this would happen... Yzak hanging-up on him that is.

It was just like Yzak, after all, to fusses over the little things. Seriously, what was the big deal if he likes Flay or not? It's not like Yzak was entitled to marry each and every girl he was interested in. There was no law enforcing him to court her against his will. In fact, Yzak could just do nothing at all, absolutely nothing! And simply let those unwanted feeling naturally subside through time.

Attraction… crushes… These happen all the time. And no one he knew had died from it yet.

_Yzak was way overreacting…._ Not that he minds though.

Suddenly, Dearka wondered whether he should call Yzak back….

_Nah… Yzak's smart. He'll figure it out when he calms down. _

"Dearka, who were you talking to?" Shiho asked, noticing Dearka who approached, turn off his phone then tuck the tiny mobile device back into his back pocket.

"Oh, that was just Yzak." Dearka answered, placing his tray down to join the brunette on the rectangular table normally for six.

"Oh. So how is the Commander?" Shiho asked with interest.

"Yzak's fine. He just called to say he misses me that's all." Dearka sat down, waving the matter off with his trademark smirk, completely aware how the brunette lowered her eyes at him as that sounded nothing like the Commander they both knew.

00000

"NB-55 to NB-80. You got that, boy?" Amsden said, repeating what one of his crew had recently announced over the heavy metal rattling in the background.

Typically, at this moment, Yzak would snap. _"I got it, alright. I'm not deaf!'_' or something like that at the top of his lungs, angry. But today was not like all other days. Today, Yzak, apparently, seemed to have not heard him.

And at the abnormality of it all, Amsden tore his eyes away from the engineers and shift them once again to Yzak's face, side glancing at the younger man- who was clearly fighting unconsciousness. He would watch how Yzak's eyes slipped nearly close before all at once coming open again with a start like a young child up way past his bedtime, fighting sleep.

After several weeks of continuous hard work, the young Coordinator's attentiveness, beyond any doubt, have been drained off so many levels. There was no doubt in Amsden's mind that the boy had finally reached his limit.

Tearing his eyes away from Yzak again... Face neutral. "You know you really shouldn't push yourself too hard." Amsden's said, sounding even more somber and intense than usual.

Yzak however, simply continued to scan around the facility, for haven't had heard him.

Amsden sighed and reached a decision that he had been debating over all day. He met the boy's eyes once more from where he now stood with his hand on the long metal railings.

"At exactly eighteen-hundred hours sharp tonight. I will be closing off all sectors once today's agenda is done. All staff is required to leave the vicinity immediately, no exceptions."

In hearing this sudden announcement. Yzak was left agape, looking like he had just been wrongfully insulted... because both he and Yzak knew this could only mean one thing.

"I'm not allowing you to do your regular rounds tonight."

_One, two, three. _

"What!" Yzak's head snapped sideways.

_Slow reaction..._ Amsden counted. He crossed his muscular arms then uncrossed them again.

Actually, there wasn't really anything wrong about Yzak revaluating the dismantled nuclear warheads. If it gives the kid a sense of security and relief then go right ahead... What bothered him was that Yzak's only in his twenties, yet he was pushing himself like a dogged fifty years old. Thus he worried for him.

Yzak was obviously in no condition to stay on patrol with him today, but he managed to force himself awake for the task anyway.

"Why? What is this all of the sudden? I always do the rounds!"

Amsden rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I recall your job specifically includes sending out data and updates from here to PLANTs. I'm the Project Head here and you were only assigned to monitor us work. So what you see is what you get. I'm closing down this sector accordingly this time."

_Tsk. _Yzak grunted. For shame! This job was a serious insult to his outline of experience.

"I'm not allowing it! I'll be taking the rounds as usual. You may be Project Head, but I've been given the authority by the Board to do as I see fit for the betterment of this project."

Amsden frowned.

True. But he just wanted to try and convince Yzak otherwise, for the boy's own good. Yzak really looked like he needed a few breaks and plenty of sleep.

"I'm still closing this building on schedule. Go against me then I'll lock you in. I don't give a damn if the Board finds out."

Yzak was struck speechless.

"It's just for one day, boy. Give it a rest." Amsden said, curtly. "You really look like you could use the break... It's not like another war would break out just because you skipped overtime."

_About that..._ Yzak's eyes turned into furious slits. "I don't know if you are aware of this. But several weeks ago, I overhead the crew talking about concealing warheads against orders." He said, throwing unseen glares at the busy people working hard around them. "If I don't carefully re-evaluate everything than this might end-up as another basis for war to break out."

At this, Amden's brow furrowed.

"You don't have to worry about that. I know it's all talk. I know my men."

"You seem calm about this." Yzak glared at Amsden suspiciously.

"It's my job to keep an eye on them, boy. I'm not just here to boss people around." Amsden explained solemnly, throwing a hand sideways to indicate the crowd. "Those men over there are my staff. If one of them mess up, I will be held responsible. So if I find out any of them had been concealing munitions against orders they will be answering to me personally." He crossed his arms again, flexing his large muscular built as if to prove a point.

Skeptical._ Whatever._ Thinking there was nothing else left to discuss, Yzak turned on his heel. He lived for the _damn_- 'If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself' principle anyway.

"Now where are you going?"

"Early rounds!" Yzak yelled back, muttering as he went.

Half an hour later.

Crouched between several empty shells, Yzak studied the compartment belonging to the last bombshell aligned to the row that had been announced dismantled earlier on.

Yzak leaned back then brought his sleeves to his forehead, having confirmed the Physics package has been removed beforehand.

This done, he had continued to the far side of the room, muttering all the way about meddling co-workers who are meant to be so damn clever, yet unable to prioritize on work and mind their own business.

Eventually, Yzak had continued his usual rounds. He settled down in the room's second row, leaving the least drafty corner.

He stepped away from the wall, and was surprised and alarmed when he swayed briefly on his feet as if dizzy.

This was where he found himself, body aching with cold, face feeling suddenly hot and flushed. When he pressed his hands tentatively to his cheeks, his fingers felt like ice.

_Oh, not good. Not good at all. _

He needed his head; he couldn't afford to get tired or ill right now.

Coordinators typically was not prone to getting sick. Yzak Joule doesn't get sick! He had been ill once during his pre-teen years, but that had been the first and the last!

"Boy?" The voice which had so far this morning, snapped, and lectured him now held a new tone- that of concern. Yzak gave his head a quick shake to clear it, got himself under control, and raised his eyes catching Amsden across the room. The huge man was standing in front of him. The concern he had heard in the man's voice was now mirrored on his masculine face.

"Hey boy, are you all right?" Amsden asked, quickly rushing over, helping him at the exact moment Yzak saw his footing blur for the second time.

_Oh, how he hated being caught in a weak moment. _

"I'm fine." He ground out from between clenched teeth, but even as he said it he knew it wasn't so.

He was sick.

Even as he stood there, he could feel himself breaking out in a cold sweat, could feel the approach of fever-induced chills.

Breathing pretty hard, Yzak cringed at the thought of a certain Engineer with a smug look telling him- _"I told you so."_ Then before he even knew it, to his mortification, he was surrounded by a few more of the staff, free to witness his _humiliating _weakened condition.

_Damn it. They better not start pitying over him!_

He had to get out of here, away from them. Brushing off the hands offered to help him, Yzak groaned as he pulled himself to his feet with great effort; and he felt utterly drained just by doing so with his legs shaking. _God, why was he so weak?_

He made for the door. Then he did leave, without a backward glance. He never saw how very long his co-workers stood there staring after him, conflicting emotions playing across their faces. He never heard the whispers of concern for him before all was told to return back to work.

00000

Meanwhile, back in PLANTs.

Dark heels planted firmly to the ground, Ezalia Joule gracefully slid out of her chauffeured automobile in front of Aprilius One's ZAFT Headquarters. _It's been awhile since she last came back here_, she thought.

Raising her chin high, she removed her Wayfarer sunglasses examining the large building, which used to be and still seemed so familiar. Normally, she never visit unannounced, but today was different. Today was special. She was going to surprise Yzak with her sudden visit. She smiled, not forgetting to bring out a small parcel of sweets from the car before making her way to the front entrance, heels clicking away.

Just then as she entered the busy lobby and approached the main counter, all the conversation stopped. Ezalia Joule commanded that sort of respect. When she happened to pass a couple of soldiers on the way, they would stop and give the formal salute even though she was no longer accustomed to return the gesture.

Contrary to popular belief, even after her forced retirement from the Council, she was still looked upon with high regards in society. After all, she was why this establishment along with PLANTs' several definitive aerospace technologies had thrived even during those years when Patrick Zala's esteem was withering away.

"What do you mean Yzak Joule is not here?" Ezalia responded back. Never in her twenty-years of being her son's mother had she ever heard something as outrageous like- her son missing.

It was the most ridiculous thing she heard since she mistook Lenore's son to be a pretty girl and vice versa. If this hadn't been about Yzak, she would have probably laugh. Unfortunately for both herself and the woman at the desk, this did involve her son.

Ezalia leaned forward, "Yzak Joule was assigned here at Aprilius One by the Council. He is stationed here twenty-four hours and seven days a week. How could Yzak not be here? I demand to see my son. Kindly check again." She began with the exact same seriousness and authoritative tone as when she was still on Board.

Obliging to her request, the girl at the desk or Ms. Lily Romeyn as stated by her tag, went ahead and typed on her computer, checking again. She paused for a while, reading the details silently before bearing the former representative of Maritus City the bad news.

Looking up from the monitor the second time, "I understand your concern Mrs. Joule, but Commander Yzak Joule had been temporary reassigned by the Council three months ago for a special project."

In hearing this, Ezalia couldn't help but be taken aback. Suddenly, ridiculous didn't quite reach its expectation anymore. And she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by her own son for not telling her this sooner.

"And that would be where, exactly?"

_Hold on... three months ago! Something was terribly wrong..._

"I'm afraid that is qualified information, ma'am."

"Seriously, three months ago?"

"Yes ma'am. Three months." The girl assured her, yet still Ezalia found it quite hard to believe.

Well... how could she not? She was the one who raised Yzak. She knew her son better than anyone else. She had been keeping in contact with Yzak regularly as usual, yet not once did Yzak mention anything about a transfer.

_Why had Yzak not told her? _

_Something was indeed very very wrong!_

And being the caring mother who loves her son, she was determined to get into the bottom of this. For a start, Ezalia knew only one person, other than herself, Yzak would trust enough to confide with.

"Get me Elsman, Dearka then." Ezalia leaned forward, her seriousness written all over her face. "He is available, is he not?"

00000

"I came as soon as I have heard." Flay said in between breaths as soon as Yzak opened his apartment door.

He met her with a hand to the back of his neck, which felt particularly sore from staying in the same position for so long against the chill that he felt pervaded his room.

"I told you- It's just a common fever. It's not a big deal." Yzak rolled his eyes, explaining the situation to Flay. "You didn't have to come rushing over. I am fairly able to care for myself." He said definitely, though his voice betrayed his bone-deep weariness even though he had not intended it to. Either way, he stepped aside from the door welcoming Flay into his apartment. Then immediately, shut the door behind him after having felt a deathly cold draft sweeping in from the corridor.

Inside, the first thing that Flay registered upon entering Yzak abode was the fact that the room felt like a draft furnace. Second, was the size of the room.

_One common space for living room, kitchen, and bedroom with one adjoining bathroom._ It was a unexpectedly plain and small, not the type she often imagined Yzak would be accustomed to. _At least, it was tidy._ Flay thought for a while.

Then she paused, suddenly aware that she was standing right in front Yzak's open computer.

Raising a confused brow, "You're still working?" Flay asked not understanding why... then upon turning around, she immediately saw the answer. Long sleeved polo shirt, slacks, and tie. Yzak apparently had not even bothered changing out of his work clothes as of yet. "Yzak, you're sick... shouldn't you be getting some rest?"

Yzak shrugged then walked pass her. "I'll rest later..." He drew out the chair from his tidy desk and seated himself in front of his workspace. Of course, Yzak knew himself more than anyone else. He had been fine yesterday, so how would a little bit more hurt?

"Yzak..."

"I said. I'll rest later." He said again, unbothered to turn around; however, just as his hand closed in on the keyboard, she stopped him once again.

"Have you checked your temperature yet?" Flay leaned forward, though still keeping a safe distance from his shoulder while standing closely behind him.

Yzak growled under his breath. If the reason behind Flay fussing over him was a show to piss him off, she was certainly doing a good job at it. "A hundred and three Fahrenheit." He said, becoming aware of the feminine fingers that had found its way to the backrest of his chair, which trembled along as Flay spoke.

"A hundred and three!" She gasped so closely to his left ear. All at once, making Yzak wish he had just left Flay outside to ring on his doorbell.

"It's fine. I said, I would rest after I'm done, didn't I?"

"And when will that be... two no four hours from now?" Flay let out sarcastically causing Yzak to roll his eyes, unseeingly, at her tone.

Flay had managed to make his estimated hours sound so bad.

"Look. If you're just going to stand there and bug me all day then it's probably better if you leave. You're free to walk out on your own."

"Yzak, I'm serious. You're burning up! You should rest now!"

_Actually, he was serious too... _but Yzak decided to ignore her this time. He had already told her of his plans. He had said what he needed said. And as much as he wanted to retort and win whatever useless argument that comes in his way, he was already too busy shivering on the sole seat of his room, chilled to his now aching bones, to even think of wanting to start an argument with her.

Fact was- he still had unfinished military reports to write... So he was a little groggy because of the fever, big deal. He would not deny that his brain was becoming more clouded with each passing moment. All the more reason, he needed to finish the papers quickly.

"Yzak...?"

Wiping a hand down from his fever-flushed face, Yzak listened with complete disinterest.

"Yzak!" Flay shouted, her voice cracking.

Never had Yzak thought his own name would ever appear so _damn_ irritating.

"Yzak, you need to rest!"

For a moment, he considered proceeding as if he hadn't heard her; just type away through the shaking and the noise without a backward glance, but then, almost against his will, he found himself turning once more to face her. Flay still stood in the same spot of course, but now her hand had finally let go of the chair for being part responsible for turning him around.

"Goddamn it!" Yzak cursed through gritted teeth. If they hadn't been gritted, they would have been chattering.

He glared at Flay levelly- or as levelly as he could anyway; he was starting to shake. He hoped fervently that she wouldn't notice.

His temperature spiralled ever higher that long day; and his head was hurting like crazy. Then, suddenly, this _damn_ woman had to come over doing nothing but nag, which was seriously getting on his nerves! It's just one headache after another!

And when she mentioned the r word again.

_It was the last straw._

Yzak vigorously stood up as Flay took an instant step back at the promptness of it all.

Reflexively, he flashed his hand out; he grabbed her wrist and yanked her to him with a surprising strength. He gripped her shoulders, rendering her immobile. And just like he envisioned, fear took hold of Flay as his face took on a menacing look. Splotchy and red, looking ready to erupt. He was terribly angry.

"Would you just shut up the hell up, woman! I never asked you to take care of me!" He shouted, shaking her.

Flay's head snapped up and the eyes she got from her mother, a hazy blue-grays widened at how he was manhandling her out of his frustration. Then as easily as he had yank her to him, he threw her back violently, sending Flay tumbling sideward to the ground.

At first, It felt like the most gratifying thing to do... Yzak realized the grave mistake then as he stood there completely horrid at the outcome flashed before him.

_Hell of a view..._

Right in front of him- on display was- a pair of long smooth shapely female legs. There was no argument against how beautiful and tempting Flay was on the floor with her knee high skirt pushed up all the way to her thighs. If a man did not spend a minute to appreciate that, he was a sorry individual.

Regardless... What bothered Yzak was the fact- how mortified Flay had looked hastily covering her legs back up from his view, which dreadfully reminded him of how he had once forced them apart.

Yzak felt as though he'd walked into a nightmare.

_He did it again_... _He fucking did it to Flay again!_

Yzak let his hand fall away.

Erotic scenes between him and Flay flashed into his mind, nevermind whether it had or had not actually happened just moments ago... He couldn't get himself to sort them out.

Silence reigned for a long time. Breathing hard, Yzak stood directly in front of Flay, frozen in place. Still without a word, without a pause to analyze his own actions. Flay could only looked up at him with wide, solemn, unflinching eyes when he drew back a moment later.

"Godddamn it!" Yzak muttered aloud in a rusty voice, his face creased into a frown; eyes falling shut. _The hell did he just do!_

Horrid, confuse and scared of his own action, Yzak sank to the edge of his bed, ran both hands through his baby-fine silvery hair, and his head dropped forward into his hands, thinking hard.

_Was he such a retarded fucking sadist that he would have so lack of self control?_

"I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. And then again, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it!" Then, as Flay tried to make some sense of these strange words, he slipped his eyes shut, a pained expression settling over his face as though Flay's daunt expression had been the confirmation of his worst fears. "I never meant to force you into sex!"

"Yzak..."

He kept his eyes shut and snapped his head away, refusing to seek the source of the voice, which was becoming more audible as Flay neared him.

"... I... was angry... You wouldn't shut up!... everyone I knew... were losing their life..." Yzak whispered, sounding stricken, and looking suddenly a lot younger than his twenty one years, on account of the naked fear on his face, fear that he would not have allowed anyone but his mother to see. "I wanted it to stop! I couldn't do anything! I couldn't make it stop! and then you-! and then I- and then now-! ..."

Yzak was making little sense, but Flay understood.

Flay closed her eyes and opened them again. "That's enough..."

Yzak's eyes snapped open when Flay knelt in front of him, silencing him before things manage to get out of hand.

It was only then had he realize how physical close Flay already was.

"Yzak... We've gone through this. That was a long time ago." Flay adjusted her knees on the floor and leaned forward; she cupped his cheek and looked up at him in the eye. "Look at me, Yzak." She said, assuring. "I'm fine. You didn't hurt me this time."

Generally, this, of course, was a part lie. Seeing how rough he had been with her had proven that much... but denying it made all the difference because, finally, he seemed to see her- the first time Flay felt like Yzak had really seen her since she had entered his place.

"Nothing bad has happened. You are tired, that's all. You are clearly very sick and a little delirious. You need your rest." Flay's tone was so soothing he could almost believe her. Almost.

"What time is it? the day?" Yzak broke off and swallowed hard. When he spoke again, his voice was raw- an almost painful sound as if he couldn't believe how Flay was being so lenient on him. "The date?"

"It's four pm. A Thursday. CE 75 08 08." Flay answered, not long after stealing a glimpse at an overhead clock. "Why?"

"It's still early. There still will be plenty of time to rest later if I manage to finish the docu-..."

Flay couldn't believe what Yzak was muttering...

"Forget work! You'll have plenty of time for that when you are all better!" Flay growled; the anger in her voice making it more clear to Yzak than words ever could that she had been worried, more than scared of him.

Flay shook her head. Silently and unhesitatingly, she left his side for a minute or two... when she returned, she placed a glass of water and a pill on his hand.

"What's this?" he croaked.

"Acetaminophen." She answered automatically.

And by the looks of it, she did not need to explain further as Yzak already knew what it was for and poured the contents down his throat.

"What you need now is plenty of rest." She said. "Also you will need to drink lots of water to stay hydrated."

Once, Flay's back was turned, Yzak rose and began gathering up the files left innocently on his workspace to have something to do. Yzak never found it easy to sit still for long, and when he's agitated sitting still was totally out of the question.

Catching Yzak up and about, "I said rest! Sit down and I'll take that..." She demanded, taking the files without much argument before placing them back from where he took them.

Yzak cursed inside. He miserably walked back to the bed and just sat there.

_She was ordering him around! _

And as much as Yzak wanted to retaliate, he held himself back. He could not argue with Flay. _Shit._ Not when he feared another argument with her may lead to something drastic.

"Do you have anything more comfortable to change into?"

"In the closet..." He muttered, beaten.

Flay nodded and took out a white cotton tee-shirt jersey- knit sleep pants from his wardrobe. And with that, she began to help him undress. At first, Yzak protested that he could change himself, but he eventually gave up when Flay had convinced him otherwise.

"Quit being so difficult," Yzak could only shrugged as Flay argued.

There was no denying it would be faster if she helped him. Furthermore, there was no arguing that there's nothing she have not seen before.

Once he had been completely rid of his sweat drenched clothes, temporary leaving them in an untidy heap on the floor. Flay guided him to bed, making sure his head was plopped onto his pillow; body tucked underneath blankets, this time.

"Rest, alright!"

_How many times had she told him that?_

Despite his feverish state, Yzak was forced to roll his eyes. The chills that had been threatening to hit him, washed over him in a sudden and violent assault, but he didn't really care.

Days will continue to pass. Time would not stand still. Every hour was precious.

Every bit of wasted second could turn into a loophole for war. And he'd do anything in his power to prevent another war from escalating again. It was for the benefit of majority, an enriched accomplishment in exchange for a little bit of sleep.

_Why couldn't the people around him understand that?_

_He needed to get back to work. He wanted to work. _

Surprisingly, as of on cue, his computer made a buzz. And coming into screen was an image of a digital mail.

_Must be a response from the Council about the report he had sent in. _

Yzak kicked off the covers. He was about to get up again when Flay surprising pushed him back down on bed; pressed a palm against his forehead, feeling his temperature as she did so. His heart thundered in his chest as he felt the warm of his neck rising to his face. He could only stare up at her, still, a bit surprised of what she just did.

Flay's head whipped toward the sound of the computer then back. Her eyes narrowing to furious slits.

"Enough! I'm aware you Coordinators rarely get sick. However, once you're ill it can be fairly dangerous." She kept her hand on his forehead. "You should learn to take care of yourself more." She spat.

And Yzak was about to counter when he realized she wasn't finish.

A weak smile curved Flay's lips. "If you die, Kaitlyn would be sad…" She whispered, holding Yzak's blue gaze steadily with her blue-gray ones, watching his eyes widen with shock. "Your family and friends will be sad... I would be too… So rest, okay."

Her words touched him. They actually touched him- even with his defense up.

_What the hell was going on?_ Yzak was, for a moment, caught between anger at her lecturing him then suddenly his heart was ramming against his ribcage; albeit he wasn't supposed to allow the words of this woman of someone so far beneath him- to soothe.

_What was the matter with him?_ Yzak decided that it must be the fact that he was sleep-deprived and becoming increasingly feverish by the moment. All thanks to those damn engineers at work who were making plans behind his back.

Yzak fell back on bed, and the look of resignation on his face lightened Flay's heart.

Then his eyes slipped shut, and he was asleep before he could even begin to phrase a reply.

In all his strange, delirious thoughts, the one image that stood out most vividly in Yzak's fevered mind was that of Flay's face- her face, that could be so pretty when it wasn't wearing that expression of hostile disdain she seemed to have constrained in war.

That was the last coherent thought he had as he drifted off into a troubled, fevered sleep.

00000

_A temperature of Fahrenheit one hundred and five... If this went any higher, he will need an ice bath._

Flay frowned reading the thermometer.

_For an arrogant, responsible, military trained man... Yzak can be such a stubborn child._

Flay had been quietly sitting beside Yzak's still form when she raised her head; eyes lit upon the only doorway when the person responsible for suddenly opening it decided to let herself in.

Startled but did not show it, Flay continued to sit still when a small aged woman of eighty came into the small room at her own careful pace, which was seemingly quick enough for a woman of her age.

Entering, the woman made a quick glance over to Flay sitting by the bed then moved on, automatically, towards the room's fifty-three inch kitchen counter and began setting down a small bag of groceries there while clucking away about _"how staring at the bed for long hours will not lower that fever..."_ or something like that.

And after a few more second of being ignored and the woman buzzing around the kitchen counters, discomfited by the simple fact that there was a stranger there...

Careful, "Um. May I help you?" Flay asked causing the stranger to stop then turn around, trailing where the feminine voice had came from, which was by the bedside, before suddenly taking Flay's presence into awareness.

The aged woman was force to squint her eyes, trying to focus them before letting out a gasp.

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Forgive me. I have mistaken you for Mr. Joule. These eyes of mine are not what they are aforetime and these things are not as helpful as they used to be... " She said, taking off her small rounded glasses then wearing them back on after she had wiped them cleaner... though, still it had not done much help.

The woman's eyes were still a blur from a particular distance, Flay realized this, when the aged woman glanced back at her... missing Yzak who was clearly on bed.

"So where has the young man run off too?" The elder woman asked, suddenly looking around worried.

At this, Flay simply tilted her head and smiled lightly.

"He's right here on bed. Asleep."

Flay gestured beside her to a very sick young man on bed, who toss and moan and sweat still wracked by the chills despite the room's warmth.

And after a while, the aged woman decided to approach the bed to get a better look at the sleeping male, slightly dumbfounded that her sick tenant was finally actually sleeping...

Some of the upset left the aged woman's face to be replaced by puzzled curiosity. "Are you his girlfriend by any chance?" She asked curiously, like any person interested in a bit of gossip.

Flay's face warmed up and quickly shook her head. "No. We're just friends."

"Is that so..." The aged woman wriggled her nose. The truth was rather hard for her to believe, considering that she had been trying to convince Yzak to rest ever since the young man had gotten back from his work with continual failed effort. There was no denying Yzak Joule was a stubborn one. Thus, she thought, this young lady in front of her has to be something more to the him; to have been able to have persuade him... "Family-friend or close-friend?" The woman added causing Flay to shake her head once more, this time more slowly.

Unless either of the latter can be defined as- simply, a person who one knows then... no.

"No, we're really just friends." Flay assured her. And the woman's face fell almost comically at that, though of course she was unaware of this.

"Well, no matter. I'm just quite relieved that someone came over to take care of him. I was afraid he'd be alone, sick. I'm glad he called you."

At this, Flay said nothing nor did she move and just continued to look at Yzak's sleeping form. Actually, Yzak only called her to tell Kaitlyn that he couldn't visit. She was the one who persistently wanted to come over upon hearing that he was ill... Although, it was good that she did.

"I'm the Land Lady of this building Mrs. Nita. And you are?" The woman decided as the two of them apparently hadn't had yet had a proper introduction.

"Flay Allster. It's nice to meet you."

The woman smiled then frowned watching Yzak tossed his head fitfully, muttering incoherently as she stood beside the bed.

The blankets covering him were now tangled about his legs, his fair hair pasted to his brow with perspiration.

"The poor dear..." The old landlady trailed off, and her eyes drifted shut as she heaved a deep relieving sigh. "While on my way to tend the garden, I found him unconscious by the door... Really, it hardly passed for sleep at all"

"Is that so..."

"He must have exhausted himself from work..." Mrs. Nita said, tucking her hands behind her curved back. "He needs someone to take care of him." And Flay could not agree with her more.

After the episode they just had... she concluded- Yzak needed to be calmed, cared for, allowed to get the rest his body so badly needed in order to recover. Simply asking him to stay still was already a struggle and what's more, Yzak doesn't seem like the type who would listen to just anybody. Somehow, she felt both sorry and admiration towards the particular woman who would have to put up with him in the future.

"I wonder if he already has a sweetheart..." The woman began as the sick Yzak tossed around bed again, fighting the fever off.

Flay smiled, unseeingly. And, gently, dabbed a towel over Yzak's sweat profuse face. "I wouldn't know... Probably, in PLANTs."

"She must be quite a gem..." The elderly woman's lips curved into a kind smile.

"She must be..."

"She's probably worried sick..."

"Mrs. Nita, I really appreciate you fussing over Yzak, but sitting with him could be tiring... don't you think you should rest as well?" Flay suggested, implying the woman of her old age, which the aged landlady caught on immediately.

She straightened up slowly, barely; "Nonsense. The poor dear is alone and so far from home... It's the least I can do." Leaving the bedside, "would you like something to eat, dear?" The elder woman paused and offered on her way back to the marble counters to whip something up.

Flay could only nod at the woman's kindness. "Ah, yes. Thank you."

After a second later, finding herself with Yzak again, Flay first adjust the heater, instantly reducing the amount of heat it was putting out to a more tolerable level.

In awhile, she went to the bathroom and emerged with a soft cloth that had been dipped in cool water; leaned forward and set it successfully on Yzak's forehead.

From the kitchen counters, the aged landlady could only smile as she turned around, charmed at the scene where the young woman turned her attention to the young man, peeling away the drench blankets that had been tangled about the male's legs and readjusting the whole mess of them into a single clean lightweight comforter, which she proceeded to tuck around Yzak with a gentleness most people would never have believed.


	8. Bittersweet and Strange

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 8: Bittersweet and Strange**

* * *

Allen planted his hands on Flay's table and leaned in, watching the girl, who was about leave early from work to pick up her daughter, shuffle her bag for her phone, wallet, and umbrella.

**"**Are you sure you don't want me to call you a cab? It's raining pretty hard out there." Allen asked again, hearing the heavy patter of the rain despite being indoors.

"I'm sure. It'll be a lot quicker if I just catch a cab outside." Flay pulled out an umbrella.

"The school chose a pretty bad day to take the kids on a trip to the zoo."

Flay could only sigh. "It can't be helped. Coincidentally, it's Frances' day off. And who would of thought it would rain so hard."

Flay urgently grabbed her bag then her coat from the rack, and hung them on her arm as she hurried. She took two step forward to the closed door then stopped, suddenly, unexpectedly hearing a very familiar set of footsteps at the front of the store, tapping towards her way.

_"Hi, auntie Ripley! is mama there?"_

Flay shook her head. Oddly, for a second there, she thought she had heard Kaitlyn's voice on the other side of the room and wondered if she had imagined it.

Three seconds later, the door swung open and a little girl with short pigtails came bursting excitedly into the backroom. Her small bag pack swaying behind her as she ran.

"Mama!"

"Kailtyn?"

All eyes went wide, especially Flay's. In any case, Flay lifted the girl up relieved to see her safe and not damp from the rain.

"Hi, uncle Allen! Hi, uncle Mother!" The girl added shifting left and right.

"How did you get here?" Flay asked- the very question everyone in the room wanted answered.

"Uncle Yzak drove me here from school."

Flay felt her heart pound.

_Yzak!_ Flay and the others all turned their gaze to the Venetian windows. And there he was, in front of the store, looking around while his sedan was visibly parked outside soaked from the pounding rain.

Mother nudged a mesmerized Flay.

"AW! Mother, that hurts..." Flay exclaimed snapping out of it before letting Kaitlyn leap down from her arms so she could massage her sore hip.

Mother raised a meaningful eyebrow levelly against Flay's glare. "You're just going to let him browse the shop? I'm sure his not here for the merchandises."

Flay set her bag, coat, and umbrella back down. "I know. I know." Flay sighed, stepping out to the front. "Please, watch Kaitlyn for me."

Kaitlyn pulled on Mother's pants. "Uncle Mother, what does mechadise mean?"

00000

"I suppose you're expecting a thank you." Flay said, approaching Yzak at the custom-made jewelry section like any salesladies would do to accommodate the customers.

Yzak neither smiled nor frown. "I wasn't. I just figured it would save me the hassle of having you pick her up in this weather."

At Yzak's answer Flay could not help but feel dubious. She wasn't sure whether Yzak was being nice or was seriously doubting her as a parent. "Kaitlyn is safe now. You have brought her to me. If you are not expecting a thanks in return then what are you waiting for? Do you think, I actually believe you are planning to buy something?"

"I'm waiting for your shift to end." Yzak revealed, leaving Flay a little dumbfounded. "It's dark out. And I can't just leave two females traveling alone in this weather."

00000

Approximately thirty minutes later, the rain still had not stopped; it pattered in the streets all around them and into the drainage through the dark.

Immediately, after being seated on Flay's lap inside Yzak's car, "Look mama I got a star for naming all of the animals!" Kaitlyn announced, eagerly showing Flay the badge she had earned, which was now pinned on the straps of her jumper.

Yzak pulled his side of the door close at the same time Flay gave Kailtyn a tight hug, proud of her little girl's achievement.

"... I saw a really big mama hippo and her baby!" Kaitlyn face wowed as if she was still at the zoo looking at the animals there. "Mama, Mama, Did you know that when a mama hippo stops walking the baby stops too!" Kaitlyn continued sharing.

"Oh, I didn't know that."

Yzak started the engine; leaned back and breathed in a calming but tired breath causing Flay to tip her head, noticing.

"Are you feeling all right?" She asked, wondering if Yzak had not fully recovered from his fever and was again pushing himself.

Yzak side glanced at Flay. "Better."

"Oh, no! Uncle Yzak is sick!" Kaitlyn worried.

At Kailtyn's reaction, Yzak turned to Flay who returned an: I-told-you-she-would-worry type of look.

"I'm fine now... thanks to your mother." He said.

And Kaitlyn- not knowing Flay took care of him, simply returned a confuse face.

Shifting the car to drive and flicking on the windshield wipers, "Want to have dinner? I heard there is a nice restaurant around here that has a play area." Yzak asked to either.

Being much familiar of the places around town than Yzak was, "Chucky pizza?" Flay presumed.

"That's the one." Yzak confirmed, which unsurprised Flay, lead Kaitlyn to cheer and waggle on her seat with glee.

00000

In time, Kaitlyn realized that there wasn't much of a car view due to the rain... And considering the time of day, it was pretty much dark out.

Being in front of the car as well as being unfamiliar with the roads and signs altogether, Kaitlyn sat on her mother's lap bored and entertained herself by mindlessly watching the pair of wipers wiping the rain off the windshield.

"Yzak, you should turn left on the next corner. It's a one way street." Kaitlyn heard her mother instruct.

Then accordingly, the car made a left turn a few seconds later.

Tired of watching the wiper go right and left...

In silence, Kaitlyn innocently glanced up at her uncle Yzak. She watched him for awhile, gradually noticing how his eyes slyly shift from the road to his right then to the road again. Puzzled at what exactly Yzak was intently looking at... Kaitlyn followed his line of sight and lifted her head upward. And the only thing she saw to his right was her mother, Flay, who was unremarkably watching the road.

Without a word, Kaitlyn accordingly turned her attention back to Yzak again. She tilted her head sideways... still noticing how the male made unseeing glances at her mother from time to time.

Unsure of what to make of this unusual gesture, Kaitlyn turned then impatiently pulled on Flay's sleeve to get her unwonted attention. "Mama, I want to go home." She whined, burring her head on her mother's breasts, gripping onto her with a possessive hug.

"Kaitlyn, what's wrong? Don't you want to go to Chucky's and have pizza?" Flay worried, noticing Kaitlyn's sudden change of attitude.

Kaitlyn whipped her head to the side to the passenger mirror. "No! I wanna go home... " Kaitlyn said, shaking her buried head left and right, which caused Flay to glance up at a confused yet worried Yzak.

"I suppose we could have dinner out some other time..."

Yzak nodded understandingly and turned the car around.

Eventually, they had dinner at Allster's; Yzak ended up being the guest of the house. The menu was chicken Risotto and pink honey lemonade.

It was during this time, Flay would ask Yzak about his day; Kaitlyn would excitedly share her trip to the zoo to her mother; and Wufei would occasionally circle around them hoping to find scrubs of food that would fall under the dining table.

By eight, Flay started cleaning up the table with Kaitlyn never leaving her side. By eight: thirty, the rain had died down and Wufei was led outside to his dog house.

Around nine, Flay had began tucking Kaitlyn to bed.

"But I'm not sleepy yet..." Kaitlyn yawned as Flay laid the blanket over her chest.

"Nonsense, It's pass your bedtime and you are exhausted." Flay said, trying to coax her child to sleep, but the little girl kept her round eyes attentively open.

Without word, Kaitlyn took the pleasure of Flay tenderly stroking her hair, and she watched her dotingly. Her mother was the last person she always see before going to bed and also the first she always look for upon waking up. Kaitlyn closed her eyes for a brief second, imaging how it would feel like if that particular cycle suddenly were to break.

She would wake up one morning looking for her and find the entire house, her entire world, complete empty.

Kaitlyn quickly reopened her eyes with a few drops of tears escaping out from the corners. For a moment, she had feared that everything in her room would fade. To turn gray.

She looked at Flay, who was still _gratefully_ there beside her, stroking her head with her fingers before glancing over to the side where Yzak was leaning near the door watching them.

"Mama, why is uncle Yzak still here?" Both Yzak and Flay was startled by her words, but what shocked them most was the tone of the girl's voice.

"Kaitlyn! That's not nice. Uncle Yzak has been nothing but nice to us. Apologize!" Flay said, but the little girl simply glanced away, not wanting to. "Kaitlyn now!"

"No!" Kaitlyn shook her head.

"Kaitlyn-!"

"Noooo!" The girl screamed again, pulling the blanket overhead, which lead Flay to try and wrestle her out while Yzak on the other hand, was only left to watch the scene from behind them.

"Kaitlyn, apologize now!" Flay pulled on the blanket, which Kaitlyn was stubbornly pulling as well.

"No! No! No!" Kaitlyn's shrieks echoed the room and from there on, Yzak knew he could not take it anymore.

"Flay, It's fine! You don't have to force her if she doesn't want to." Yzak said, stopping both mother and daughter on the spot. When Yzak had finally caught Flay's attention, he added by pretending to look at his wristwatch. "I should be heading out anyway... It's getting late."

"I'll see you off then." Flay stood up. But before she could actually go anywhere, Kaitlyn quickly emerged from under her blanket and quickly lunged at her right hand, not letting go.

"Mama, stay with me!" Kaitlyn wailed. And for some particular reason, Flay felt like Kaitlyn was honestly pleading her to stay.

"Kaitlyn, it will only take a minute." Flay furrowed her brows.

"Please, mama, don't go!"

"It's all right. I know where the door is." Yzak said, breaking up the two again.

Hand still attached to Kaitlyn's, "Are you sure?" Flay looked up, vexed.

"I'm not dumb. I've been here several times." Yzak snapped, although he knew that that was not what Flay had meant.

"Take care then."

Yzak nodded, turned around then disappeared through the door.

00000

Although he did not display the hurt he felt internally as he heard those devastating words indirectly aimed at him. The moment he had stepped out of the room, Yzak leaned against the cool, smooth wall beside the door, immensely grateful that it simply existed in that place and time; for being something solid to hold him up.

_What had just happen? _Yzak didn't understand._ Did he do something wrong? Had he done something to offend Kaitlyn in some way?_ because his chest felt heavy.

Yzak stared at the floor for awhile... failing to realize what seemed like minutes to him had only been seconds to everyone else. He had been standing there mindlessly lost in thought until he heard Flay began back inside...

"Kaitlyn, that was rude." He heard Flay scold. "Is there a reason why you said it?... Do you dislike him?" She asked, her tone mellowing down once again; then there came a few seconds of silence.

Yzak wasn't trying to pry, but he actually felt rather pissed that he couldn't hear what Kaitlyn's reply was.

"Are you going to leave me now? I'm sorry, mama! I'm sorry!" If Yzak could see Kaitlyn now, he imagined, she probably was in the verge of crying.

"Of course not. Now, what made you think that? I would never leave you."

Again, there came a brief stillness.

"I love you, mama." Yzak pictured a hug.

"I love you too."

"Could you please sing me a song?"

"Of course, honey... only if you promise to get some sleep."

Kaitlyn must have nodded and said yes because, a few second's later, he could actually hear Flay's voice singing a gentle lullaby. And while listening to her song, he was convinced that her singing voice could never compare to Lacus'. Yzak breathed in and closed his eyes. Though, he could not deny that her tone was indeed gentle and it possessed its own kind of soothe... It was shaky and unrefined. It was music to his ears.

00000

"Good morning, everyone!" Flay greeted first thing upon entering Fuyu's that early Thursday morning...

"Good morning, Flay." The rest reciprocated, going back to business.

"Good morning, Allen." Flay added, passing by her grinning co-worker before dropping her bag on top of her workstation. She shuffled for her equipments when she paused, noticing an unusual extravagant boxed meal on her table.

For a moment, she glanced around the room at everyone else's workstation searching for similar boxes, wondering what the occasion was, only to confirm that only she has one.

"Good morning to you too."

"What's this?" Flay asked, finally noticing the unusual grin plastered on Allen's face.

"It's a lunchbox, obviously." Allen sarcastically rolled his eyes.

"No, I mean who is it from?" Flay cleared when there wasn't a proper note or card attached to it.

"Do you even have to ask? It's from your husband."

"Who? ... Yzak?" Flay quickly assumed... though Yzak certainly wasn't.

"Duh." Allen station hopped over to Flay's. "He came earlier this morning just to drop it of... Isn't he sweet?"

Flay raised an confused eyebrow, listening.

"He said it was a thanks for the other day. Something about staying over or something like that. He said you'd know what it means... Honestly, Flay. You finally slept with the guy and you didn't even share the details with me!"

00000

_How odd. First, Kaitlyn then Yzak._ Flay contemplated unable to sleep. Gently, she run her fingers through Kaitlyn's hair minute after minute since the girl left her own bedroom and made her way into hers.

Flay checked Kaitlyn's breathing. Kaitlyn had been sound asleep for hours. _She looked so peaceful._ Flay thought smiling, partially hoping she could clear her head and get some rest as well.

Idly, she turned her attention to the neon green numbers on her alarm clock which illuminated- Four: thirty-four. Giving-up all hope of falling asleep, she set the alarm off, so that it wouldn't bother anyone later on.

Eventually, she carefully slid out of bed; made a stop at the bathroom; walked around a few times then went to her window. She pulled a small portion of the curtains open, taking a peek at the conditions outside...

Empty, foggy and still dim... then her eyes lit up at the sight of Yzak's silver sedan sitting not so far away from her driveway. Due to the fog, she couldn't be sure whether or not Yzak had stepped out from his vehicle, but still...

_What was he doing out there?_

Inexplicably, Flay's heart beat widely in her chest as she slipped on her slippers, grabbed a large white button down blouse from the closet to cover up the silk chemise she wore underneath and crept downstairs; careful not to wake Kaitlyn, Frances or WuFei in the process.

00000

Once outside.

"Yzak, what are you doing here so early in the morning?" Flay asked upon stepping out into the driveway, which may appear to have startled the male who had not expected her to be up yet.

"Flay..." He watched her stand by the wall of her yard, arms wrapped around her breast.

"Kaitlyn is asleep upstairs. It's still a little chilly out. Would you like to come in?"

True. It was a little drafty... but Yzak shook the offer off. _Did Kaitlyn even want to see him?_ Somewhat Yzak was scared to find out. He wouldn't know how to deal with another rejection from Kaitlyn again anyway. And besides, he was embarrassed enough from having been caught outside Allster's house by her of all people.

"No, I'm fine. I just happen to be passing through." He lied, quickly opening the door to his car ready to leave when he paused, suddenly, and stepped back out again. "What did you just say?"

Flay was still standing by the wall then, having not moved.

"I said, how about lets take a walk instead." She suggested, guessing that Yzak wasn't really that all busy.

00000

"I want to apologize about the other day. I don't know what has gotten into Kaitlyn all of the sudden. She is usually so thrilled about going out with you." Flay said, watching the mist covered ground they walked on.

Despite how devastating he had felt then, Yzak willed the pain away. "It's fine. Eventually, she'll need to learn how to turn people down."

"I suppose so... but it had hurt, right?" Flay glanced up at Yzak to confirm it from his face, but he hadn't looked at her, masking his emotions completely.

"I'm fine..."

As the sun began to rise from the east, accordingly, the lamps on the streets flickered off one by one.

"I heard what you did from Mrs. Nita. And she kept insisting that I should thank you properly!" Yzak shove his hands into his pockets. "Honestly, she can be as nosy as my mother at times... You received it, right? The lunchbox."

"You know... She's just looking out for you."

"Probably." Yzak shrugged. "So did you get it?" He asked again.

Flay nodded. "I did. It was delicious. Thank you."

They took a couple of more steps.

"Though you should of left a card." She added causing Yzak to stop.

"Why do I need to leave some sappy card?"

Flay continued to watch the ground. "Because it's customary to..."

Yzak snorted. "You already knew it was from me..." He said, picking up the pace again.

"I didn't... until Allen told me."

In time, the fog covering the streets subsided as they walk.

"So how's work?" Flay asked, folding her hands to her back.

"The usual. Thirty bombs per day. Nothing abstruse. The engineers at work have been acting friendlier recently. How's yours?"

"It's Ripley's birthday next week. We're planning to throw her a party."

They took a couple of more steps forward when a cool playful wind snuck up on them causing both to stop on their tracks.

At the contact, the length of Yzak's overcoat was sent fluttering, briefly. He turned around following the direction of the wind before turning his gaze back to Flay who he noticed for some particular reason was looking down. _Something from below?_ He looked down as well. And a tint of red instantly spread across his face when he finally discovered what exactly he was suddenly staring at.

Yzak's eyes were wide.

Flay's hands were on the hem of both her blouse and chemise, trying to prevent them from blowing up too high. But what she was so desperately trying to hide... He saw anyway... from the rear...

Hipster. white.

"You saw..." Flay said, immediately when the wind had gratefully died down. It was more of a statement than a question, of course.

Yzak was stark red. "You should of brought a coat!"

An odd mixture of scowl and embarrassment filled Flay's face for not having thought of it beforehand. "'Hmm... guess I should have... Does the length bother you?" because, guiltily, it didn't bother her. She was used to wearing short skirts and short shorts. Only she doesn't usually have these sort of wind problems. Nonetheless, there was no denying the morning breeze felt wonderful against her skin. So technically, it was fine so long as no one was- ...

"People will stare!"

"Ahhhh..." Flay fell silent for awhile, thinking of anything positive to counter that. "No worries... It's barely six. There aren't many people aro-..."

Yzak took off his overcoat. "Shut up and put this on!" He ordered, offering the warm heavy material to her. "What kind of woman takes care of other people, yet doesn't know how to take care of herself!"

Flay could only look at Yzak bewildered when he threw the material to her chest. She cocked her head to the side. "But wouldn't you be cold?"

"I'm not feeble. Just cover up!" Yzak ordered causing Flay to giggle at his choice of words but she slipped on the coat rather thankful that he offered, nonetheless.

"I guess this is your way of being a gentleman." Flay good-humoredly smiled, as if she had caught Yzak red handed.

"Believe what you want to believe." Yzak started to walk again.

Several minutes later.

"Can we sit down a bit?" Flay asked, suddenly fatigue.

"We've barely walked a mile."

"I'm just a little tired." Flay said, taking a seat beside an old lady on a nearby bench while all Yzak could do was cross his arms and watch her.

"You don't look like it, but you are so out of shape."

"Just give me a minute to-"

"Forget it. Just sit down." Yzak interrupted, rolling his eyes. "It's not about the walk anyway. I'll go get us something to drink so wait here." Yzak instructed without question then left.

With nothing else to do, Flay neatly tucked her hands on her lap and readjusted her pose at the edge of the bench. She looked right then left at her surrounding, which was starting to brighten up by the sunrise.

"Ah... It's so nice to see couples so young and in love." the woman beside Flay began causing Flay to turn head.

"Oh, no. You are mistaken. He and I... We are not a couple." She corrected quickly.

_Why does the people around them often assume that they were a couple?_ What is it about seeing a man and a woman casually taking a walk together nowadays anyway?

"Oh, is that so?..."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but it's the truth."

"I see..." the old lady said, calmly. She gently leaned her back forward and took another glance at the direction to where Yzak had disappeared to before smiling a broader smile. "But look at him, dear..." the woman said, encouraging Flay to look as well.

Seeing that there was no harm in taking a glimpse, Flay tilted her head slightly. She saw Yzak two benches away from them scanning the contents of the nearest vending machine. He was wearing a pair of denim pants and a dress shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and part of his silky silver hair was tucked behind his left ear. She could have watched him forever, standing there looking so suave and beautiful...

_But _"What about him?" Flay asked, rather confused.

The woman simply smiled and continued. "...Haven't you seen a young man so smitten."

Flay's eyes snapped open; at the exact moment, she felt another breeze passed by.

_Yzak. Smitten? That sounds impossible. Was it?_

Flay was forced to glance back at Yzak again, searching for any kind of signs to prove the lady's theory true, but she couldn't spot any. "How can you tell?"

The old lady leaned back relax, hands still on a small paper bag she had been carrying. "When you become my age you tend to notice these things."

"Grandma. Grandma, I found the ducks!" A little blonde girl about seven years old excitedly exclaimed while running towards them.

It was at this moment that the old lady carefully stood up from the bench with the help of a cane.

"That's my precious granddaughter." She laughed. "Have a good morning with your friend, dear."

"We will. Have a good morning as well."

"Hurry, grandma. Hurry!"

"Yes, dear. Grandma is coming!" The old lady took another careful step forward then another then another until she was reunited with her granddaughter who held her hand to assist.

"You know her?" Yzak asked, overhearing the goodbye as he returned.

"Hmm... Friendly neighbors." Flay said, eyes not leaving the two until Yzak held up a drink close to her face which covered the view.

"Here."

With the old lady's thoughts still fresh in her mind, Flay initial reaction was to ignore the drink first and look up at Yzak studying him. He was standing next to her, of course, with face faced away. On his other hand, he held a canned drink of his own.

_In what way was Yzak smitten, exactly?_

Looking back at the drink Yzak was holding up for her... Flay realized only now that the can was the color of beige or, at least, the wrapper around it was. The paper was decorated with small to large brown polka-dots all over with a couple of little brown beans in front, which looked a lot like-.

"Well, do you want it or not?" Yzak's impatience was starting to show. His tone of voice was the same as ever, daunting...

Flay shook her head. Honestly, what was she even thinking? Obviously, Yzak and smitten just doesn't go together. The thought itself was ridiculous.

Flay hesitated, fiddling her fingers on her lap before she tilted her head up a little wary.

"I... don't drink coffee…."

At the mention of this, Yzak gritted his teeth. "You should have said so before I bought it!"

Flay glanced away. "You didn't ask..."

And as expected, from a man of his temper, Yzak's finger's tightened around the tin can, looking like he would crush it in a few seconds, right in front of them both, but then he stopped, to Flay's surprise, with a sigh.

"I'll get you another one."

Flay lifted her head and looked up at him, and she nearly gasped when she saw his sapphire eyes were gazing deep down at her.

For a moment, everything seems to have slowed down. And Flay experienced a peek of what every young woman felt whenever that special someone looked at her; the sudden shyness that emerged from having their attention focused solely on her, even just for a brief second.

"Grandma, look! Look over there! Do you see it?"

Yzak tore his gaze away; and he turned around rather quickly. "Green tea. Is that okay?"

Flay blinked for a while, wondering what was Yzak talking about until she suddenly remembered. "Ah. Yes..." Flay felt her cheeks warmed up. "Green tea would be nice."


	9. Pause

**A/N: **Big thanks to those who took the time to leave a review.

Errr... I was suppose to post this up a week after the previous chapter but then I got sidetracked... Sorry... I am truly such a bum.

Disappointingly short, I know. (-_-')

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 9: Pause**

* * *

_Click._

_Hello, you have reached Joule's Residence voicemail. We are not available at the present moment, but if you leave your name, number and a short message we will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. Beep... _

"Mother, it's me, Yzak. I can't really chat right now. I just called to let you know that I'm fine. Shiho wants to discuss the current CIC and the test team pilots. And Dearka has been dying to report on his ship's condition. I promise to call you back soon."

_Beep..._

00000

Rain was still splattering against everything around him, but with diminishing force. The wind was swinging around from the south to west; the season was passing and the temperature falling. Yzak felt the cold, but he did not re-enter his parked car to leave the designated meeting place. Instead, he shove his keys aside, and held his wrist up to take another glimpse at his wrist watch.

_She's late..._

He thought, waiting under the roof of a bus stop not far from Sunrise Court Kindergarten.

_Twenty minutes late._

And he needed to be back at the armory in ten more.

"Sorry for making you wait..."

Just by hearing her voice, Yzak smiled at the same time his heart skipped before turning around. "Damn right, you should be sorry!"

He watched Flay stand underneath her umbrella with Kaitlyn right beside her; neither of them were smiling hence bringing Yzak to suddenly frown as well.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Kaitlyn got held up after school again..." Flay explained unhappily, watching her little girl, who had her head bowed down, grate the tip of her right shoe on shallow water.

Yzak's brow narrowed. And immediately, he saw the splotch on Kaitlyn's tiny wrist. "What happened this time?" asked Yzak levelly though, obviously, he was distraught.

When Kaitlyn said nothing, Flay simply decided to answer for them both with a sigh.

"Kaitlyn got into another fight with some of the children..."

There was, approximately, a two second pause before everything sank in then boiled over.

"What the hell is the school doing, letting these things happen!"

"Yzak, the school is not at fault... It's just-..." Flay tried to explain before she was cut short by an enraged Yzak Joule.

"You know damn well it is!" Yzak spat, suddenly forgetting to control his tongue in front of a child. "If they really want to prevent a fight then they should have kept a more watchful eye on Kailtyn! She is the only one who those vulgar kids pick on anyway! How hard is it to keep an eye on one girl? For God's sake, she's got my hair! How can she not stand out!"

Yzak kept going as Flay fell speechless.

"And they say placing Lacus on Chair was a mistake! At least, she influences Coordinator as well as the children not to beat up Naturals shitless up there in PLANTs!"

Unseeingly, Flay who was struck by his words eyed away.

"If you are not going to complain to the headmistress about those kids' unacceptable behavior then I will!"

But before that- Yzak knelt down and held out a hand to Kaitlyn, gesturing her to come closer to him so he could take look at the wound. But to his dismay, Kaitlyn refused him by backing away; her right hand squeezing Flay's left as she went to hide behind her mother, not wanting to be touched by him.

A brief flash of hurt stole across Yzak face.

Seeing Kaitlyn's reaction, Flay gave her little girl a light tug on the arm.

"Kaitlyn, you promised." Flay tipped her head to the side and reminded her causing the girl to look up; her blue eyes meaningfully meeting with her mother's blue-gray ones before she felt Flay slowly releasing her tiny hand.

Still on one knee, "What did she promise?" Yzak blinked. He had watch Kaitlyn glance at him for a brief second before she hid away again despite Flay urging her to step out from behind her.

"Mama, do I have to?" She whined and pouted.

"Kaityn, you promised." Flay said again, which lead Kaitlyn to casually yet hesitantly step out from her hiding place. She had taken one step forward when she paused, suddenly, and lift her head up to look for assurance from her mother once again.

"Go on." Flay mouthed before following it with a weak smile.

Still confused about what was going on, for awhile, all Yzak could do was watch Kaitlyn, seeing that there was no dry spot to place her bag down, ask Flay to hold it for her.

He watched her take out a _shoddy_ paper flower, which had been carefully placed on top of her notebooks. It was only when she had held it up towards him upon coming close, did Yzak realized the said flower was actually for him.

"I'm sorry." Kaitlyn said, first thing upon coming up close. "Mama said, I was mean to Uncle Yzak so Uncle Yzak was sad. I don't want Uncle Yzak to be sad... Is uncle Yzak still sad?"

"I wasn't sad!" Yzak denied, throwing a quick glare at Flay for telling Kaitlyn so. "I'm not sad." He said again, this time to Kaitlyn. He took the gift from her hand, looked at it dearly then smiled. _at least...not anymore. _

Once again, Kaitlyn turned head to look over her shoulder, searching. And from behind her, she watched her mother gave another assuring nod, encouraging her to continue.

Uneasy, Kaitlyn shifted her weight from left to right.

"I did not like uncle Yzak anymore because I thought uncle Yzak was going to take mama away..."

"What?" Yzak's eyes widen. He had no idea where on earth Kaitlyn had gotten this outrageous idea from. _Seriously, he wanted Kaitlyn not Flay!_ "Why would I take your mother? Where did you get this idea from?" Yzak was down right confused.

"I don't know..." Kaitlyn sniffled. "You kept looking at mama... in a very odd way... so I was really scared." She wailed, shaken. "Mama told me that this was not true that she was not going anywhere, but I'm still scared! You are not going to taking mama away from me, right?"

For short while, Yzak's thoughts wondered off. _How was he looking at Flay? When had he been looking at her? What type of look does one consider as odd anyway? _

"Right, uncle Yzak?" Kaitlyn's voice brought him back to reality. "You're not going to take mama away from me, right?"

Again, Yzak wanted to say: why would he do that? but Kaitlyn was not finished.

The little girl scraped her shoe on moist ground as if drawing on it. "...because I want to stay with mama forever..." She told him.

And in hearing her say this herself, Yzak was bewildered. Those words. Her words had struck him hard, and somewhat he felt rejection all over again.

He glanced over to Flay who was watching them from the side, her face neutral, before turning his attention back to Kaitlyn, who was scraping her shoes on dirt due to unease.

Yzak frowned genuinely. "No..." Yzak muttered. "Of course, not..."

The corner of Kaitlyn's lips curved up and the smile on her face grew wider and wider.

Tears threatened. A stone that had been keeping in Kaitlyn's heart dissolved in an instant. She took the two steps that separated them, on impulse, slid arms around his neck and held on. Held tight.

"I miss you!"

Yzak's voice caught a little, stunned at the hug. He never was a people person. All the more reason, he was not used to this kind of sudden affectionate gestures. Often, Dearka was the one who handled these kind of impulsive situations. He was the one who does the talking and the actions. He was a natural when it comes to people... while as for him...

Yzak let out a unsteady breath, uncertain how to react then blinked when he saw Flay standing on the side, silently encouraging him to wrap his arm around the little girl.

This seemed to erase all traces of stagger in his mind and, before long, his arms had come up to enclose Kaitlyn in an embrace. He stroke her back, pulled a bit tentatively, and closed his eyes.

00000

"Damn it!"

Upon storming into his apartment, Yzak hurled the chair in front of him to the wall; pushed the table to its side; and toss everything he could get his hands on- a wad of paper, a bunch of pens, and a couple of bowls.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Yzak violently kicked the table that was now on the floor, sending it to the wall as well with a thud. He was making a mess of his room; all along creating a racket. Some of the neighbors had come knocking on his door to complain about the noise one after the other, but he didn't bother with them and none of them really made an effort to stop him.

_He should of saw this coming! Dearka had fore warned him, hadn't he?_

"Damn it!" Yzak slammed his fist on a wall. "Shit!"

_Why the hell was he such an ass?_

Yzak mentally yelled to himself.

_What did it matter if he adopts Kaitlyn or take Flay away? Point is- Kaitlyn does not want to be separated from her!_

Yzak threw his anger at the wall repeatedly until he felt the sore of it.

Eventually, there came another knock on the door.

"Buzz off and mind your own business!" He roared causing the person there to retreat.

Worn-down, Yzak wrapped a hand across his muddled-flush face and leaned his back against the wall.

"Damn it... Just damn everything..."

_He can't adopt her. He can't fund for her expenses just because Flay would not take his money... If this keeps up... How was he ever going to redeem himself? Being Kaitlyn's biological father, he needed to take responsibility of her. No. Not need... He wanted to take responsibility. He wanted take care of her. Was that too much to ask?_

Yzak was just about to throw his fist onto the wall for another round of beating when the phone in his pocket rang. Yzak snarled at this.

_What lousy timing. _

He picked up anyway, took a deep calming breath before starting.

"What do you want? This better be important, Athrun!"

Yzak paced the room; his fingers tightened around his mobile phone as he listened to his friend speak on the other end, telling him the news.

"Where are you? What happened? How is SHE? What is HE doing?"

Yzak went over to the window and pulled the glass open letting some air in. He pressed a hand on the windowsill, listening some more until the conversation had come to its conclusion.

"I see... Alright then... Send them my sincere congratulation." He said finally, then hung up right after Athrun did.

Once everything had quiet down, Yzak turned his consciousness back to his room. It was only now did he notice the awful mess he had created, but then he disregarded this. What was done was done. And he will have to face the consequence later on by cleaning it up.

Yzak turned to look out the window, towards the sky, at the vastness of it.

The sky had returned to a clear blue since the rain had stopped. The clouds had reverted back to it's white fluffy form and they moved calmly as Nature had intended.

_Has it been like this for a while now? _

All along he pondered if time has indeed change and, over and over, he had fret whether it really has.

_Many seem to be moving on with their lives..._

Yzak took in a breath of air and wondered- if he was the only one who could not find the strength to leave everything behind and move on.

00000

Later. Much later.

"Yzak, what happened here?" Flay gasped at the sight of his trashed apartment upon visiting.

Holding the door open, Yzak eyed away then lied by blaming the open window. "The wind blew everything out of proportion."

"Waaahhh!" Kaitlyn, who without question believed him, poked her head inside, excited to see the mess. "That must be a really big wind, uncle Yzak!"

Stunned. "You bought-"

"Actually, Kailtyn was the one who insisted that she wanted to come over to your place for a change." Flay smiled, giggled a little and pulled on his sleeve as she let herself inside. "Don't just stand there looking shocked. I will help you clean up."

00000

By the end of the day, the news have spread of Lacus Clyne's beautiful newborn baby girl named: Candyce Lara Yamato.


	10. Unspoken Influence

**A/N: **Thank you princess_shayera, Minch THE Mighty, Thawn716, Xx Meisha xX, nequam-tenshi, Rickrolled, LittleBlueNayru, Star, FIRE LADY OREN, Rinhail, and G. Wings for leaving a review. Honestly, It really surprises me that this fanfic would attract this much readers and reviewers.

To Xx Meisha xX - thank you for pointing out my grammatical errors. :)

To Rinhail - oh, I wouldn't worry about that. :D

To G. Wings - lol. That's the funny way to put it. XD

I finally decided to make a rough outline of 'Redemption: To be family' the other day. Turns out that this fic has approximately five more chapters to go (excluding this one) before it ends. I'm hoping not to drag the updates longer than it already has, but then again maybe I'm hoping too much... I am, after all, a helpless slave of procrastination. T_T

Again, I apologize for bad grammar and errors. This chapter was doozy one to write. ' made up a whole lot of stuff. It actually got my head spinning. Please don't sue me. Wonder whether its any good though.

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 10: Unspoken Influence  
**

* * *

Once they were done with lunch, being the few ones left in the area, three engineers- David, Jeremy, and Marc crossed the mess hall together with every intention to leave when dark haired Marc decided otherwise after catching a glimpse of a familiar face on a certain someone's computer screen.

Wanting to share this interesting discovery, he immediately nudge his fellow mates who soon enough witnessed this as well.

All three males grinned sheepishly at each other in unison.

Marc acted first by leaning in forward behind the poor lad who, apparently, has not noticed them behind him yet. He tilted his head with a tiny smirk on his face.

"Oh hoho. Seems like somebody has a crush."

Yzak nearly choked on pork. And once, he was done recovering from this almost fatality, he quickly reached for his laptop; hid the evidence by turning the lid close then tuck it under his arm to secure it before coughing some more.

"That was Former Vice Foreign Minister Allster's little girl wasn't it. Flay Allster." Jeremy said, deciding to join the little fun.

Yzak felt himself flush red. He looked away, avoiding eye contact. "I don't know what you guys are talking about!"

"Oh, come on... We're not blind. We know who that was." Marc said rolling his eyes..

Jeremy nodded. "Flay Allster isn't exactly a commoner, you know."

Yzak shrugged, still protecting his laptop.

"It wasn't Flay..."

"Oh?" Intrigued, Marc took the empty seat next to Yzak while Jeremy and David lowered themselves onto the seat across them. "If it's not Flay Allster... who was it then? your girlfriend?" Marc teased, watching Yzak's cheeks turn from mild red into a brighter shade of red in seconds.

"It's not Flay Allster and I don't have a girlfriend!"

All three engineers exchanged suggestive glances.

"Hmmm... we could of sworn it was a picture of Flay Allster though. Maybe we should have another look at the picture." David laughed causing Yzak to narrow his eyes viscously at him for even suggesting such a thing. But fortunately for Yzak, none of the males had tried to relieve him of his portable computer.

"Young adults these days." Marc chuckled at Yzak's desperate expression to protect. "Cute."

"I am not cute! And why don't you people just mind your own business!" Honestly, Yzak furiously wondered- why on earth was he even still there taking all this nonsense from them when could really just stand up and leave?

Marc gave him hard slap in the back. "You're still pretty cute to me, kid; especially when you were ogling at her picture."

Yes. Outright nonsense. "I was not ogling at her picture!"

"Sure you were... You were practically drooling." Marc said causing the other two to laugh in agreement.

"I was not!"

Marc rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "Okay... If you weren't, then you would have heard the whistle announcing the end of lunch break, ten minutes ago." The man pointed out, which brought about Yzak's pale grave expression.

He hadn't heard the whistle...

_"Shit!" _Yzak got up to his feet and scrambled with his food tray. It was clean as you go around here. "Why didn't anyone warn me?" Yzak growled. He left to deposit the empty dishes back to the counter. And as he returned, he found himself three snickering men who were still lounging at the table. Yzak's eyes narrowed. "What are you three still frolicking there for? The whistle blew already. Time to get back to work!"

"Actually... It hadn't blown yet." Jeremy explained in between snicker.

When what had just happened finally managed to sink in_... Damn it! _Yzak cringed.

Alright. At this very moment, he felt like a total idiot. And unconsciously, his fist tightened at his side from the urge of wanting to beat someone to a pulp. If he was not working with these three, he would have strangled them by now, seriously!

"Speaking of Flay Allster..." Jeremy started. "Didn't she enlist in the Military four years ago?" He asked to both Marc and David who both nodded at this.

"Shocking right? A girl of her age to be joining the military..." Marc commented.

David nodded again. "It was right after the Vice Foreign Minister died... but you know... Her decision for enlisting was what moved me into serving the military; and I haven't regret this decision yet."

Yzak unwrapped his fist, listening in on their conversation from the sidelines.

Marc's eyes lit up. "Oh, so you're one of them huh. I was stationed at the California base back then when several new recruits claimed to have joined the military for the very same reason. Due to the unexpected volunteer rates, the military was suddenly understaffed of Senior Officers and had to send in some hotshot Lieutenant Commander from Alaska who never made it to base."

The whistle indicating the end of lunch hour blew.

Marc looked up as if trailing the sound. "Well, there goes the whistle."

All three men stood up, ready to head back to the armory.

"Yzak, you coming?" Marc asked upon turning around.

Yzak nodded once and followed them out on their way to the hall.

"... wonder if anyone knows the reason- why she suddenly decided to resign from the military..." David said, picking up from where they had left off...

"Beats me. The cabinet seems to be all hush about it, but then... maybe she's better off not fighting on the frontlines." Jeremy replied.

"Hmmm... I guess you're right."

Misinterpreting Yzak's unusual silence, Marc laughed, throwing yet another hard slap on the Coordinator's back as they walked. _Ouch._

"Don't worry about your little secret, okay? Me and the guys won't tell a soul, though you really don't have be all shy about it... Flay Allster is indeed a pretty one, and I'm sure there are plenty of young men out there who is attracted to her one way or the other. Why, if I was twenty years younger I would actually go for her..." He shared half jokingly which made Yzak winch unconsciously.

"Pffttt... keep dreaming old man. Like someone like Flay Allster would want to go out with a dirty old man like you." The two laughed as they ventured closer and closer to the armory.

"Hey! I did say, if I was twenty years younger, didn't I."

Yzak shrugged as he and the guys continued to make their way down the hall. "I honestly don't know what's all this fuss about Flay is for. So what if she's pretty or she volunteered in the military or whatever. She's nothing but a common civilian now."

Both Jeremy and David immediately stopped on their tracks while Marc raised a skeptical eyebrow at Yzak.

"What world did you come from? Everyone here knows Flay Allster. She's former Vice Foreign Minister George Allster's little girl!"

Yzak rolled his eyes. "I know she's the former Vice Foreign Minister's daughter, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Marc placed a chummy hand on Yzak's shoulder, giving it a little shake. "Think of it this way. If the PLANTs you are so proud of has Council Member Lacus Clyne; Orb Union and their Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha; Kingdom of Scandinavia with their Princess-..."

"Alright already. I think he gets it. You don't have to go into it with so much detail. Just get to the point." Jeremy interrupted.

"Oh sorry." Marc said, getting back to the point. "For the most part, Flay Allster is sort of like Atlantic Federations' princess figure though she has not, thus far, dramatically involve herself into politics."

00000

Yzak didn't get it. He honestly didn't get it.

There was no denying George Allster was a prominent figure on Earth. But Flay?

If she was indeed as notable as they said she was then why can't he find much information about her on the internet? He had been searching for hours- visiting web pages, browsing years worth of news archives- both videos and articles on George Allster's daughter, but he could not find anything about her that were of any real value.

_Damn. Why is that? Had they been exaggerating about her?_

Yzak leaned back on his sit.

_Or worst. Was he actually duped by them? Again!_

"Hey. Hey. Are you feeling all right?"

Yzak instantly felt a smooth hand touch his forehead then flush, knowing exactly whose hand it belonged to.

"You have been on your computer for hours; and Kaitlyn has began grumbling about it because WuFei refuses to get up and play."

Yzak turn to his side, noticing Flay smile at him. And for a second, he had this crazy nag of wanting to just ask her about it. Right. Wouldn't that be hell a lot easier? but then- _What if this turned out to be a sensitive topic? Will she tell him? _Yzak shook his head clearing it. Without a reliable basis to back him up... Flay could easily mislead him as he was doing to her right now.

"Oh, you are looking up on Foreign Minister Grant?" Flay asked, stealing a glimpse at the screen.

_Foreign Minister Grant?_

Yzak turned his attention back to the computer screen- to the link slash name- he had reflexively click on as soon as she had snuck up behind him.

"Ah. I was just following the current events."

Flay tipped her head to the side, eyes still looking at the pages Yzak was at. "Alright then. I'll just tell Kaitlyn that you're busy. I'm sure she'll understand."

Yzak growled inside. See, _too darn easy to cover up! _

"Alright. Thanks."

_Hmm... Jon Emerson Grant_... Yzak thought for a moment.

00000

Once Saturday came, Yzak found himself seated on a leather couch at a visitor's lounge inside the third largest federal building at Atlantic Federation Capital, waiting for his turn to be called.

Bored for what seemed like an hour, he watched as the line behind him slowly build up until he saw the woman who came in before him finish what she had to do at the counter.

"Next, Please."

_Finally._ Yzak went straight to the help desk, filed up a couple of forms, and hand over his driving license when asked to present an ID. With that out of the way...

"May I help you, sir?" asked the woman at the desk.

"Yes. I would like to speak to Foreign Minister J.E Grant."

"Do you have an appointment with the Foreign Minister, sir?"

"No. But I would like to set an appointment with the Minster. Hopefully, between today and next week?"

"What for?"

"I need to talk to him."

"About what?"

"I just need to ask Mr. Grant a few questions."

"Oh, so are you from a News Agency, sir?"

"No." Yzak said again, suddenly wanting to rip someone's hair off.

"So would you like to set up an appointment with the Foreign Minister, sir?"

"Yes!"

"Hmmm..." The woman typed on her computer. "The Foreign Minister is a very busy man, but lets see what we can do for you..."

About twenty minutes later...

_Three months huh,_ Yzak crumpled the useless piece of slip given to him as he exits at the east entrance of the Main State building. He knew the Foreign Minister was a busy man, but waiting three months just to have a quick conversation was just absurd.

At the pedestrian lane, Yzak shift his head both ways looking out for passing cars then crossed over just in time his mobile phone rang.

Picking up right after the second ring, "Dearka."

"Hey, Yzak. I need to tell you something..." Dearka's voice trailed off, and that was the last thing Yzak heard when he stopped walking. Slowly, he removed the phone away from his ears, catching a glimpse of a special plated automobile pull up at the south entrance of the building he had just left.

Four casually dressed men and one woman stepped out from the vehicle, but Yzak recognized the Foreign Minister immediately. The rest Yzak presumed were the man's bodyguards from their attentive looks and from the disciplined way they carried themselves.

Yzak quickly lifted the phone back to his ear. "Hey, Dearka something urgent just came up. Is this important?" Yzak said quickly.

"Uhh... maybe?... Weren't you listening?"

_Hadn't heard a thing. _"Look. Could you just leave me a voicemail? I'll call you back."

"Errr... Okay...?"

Yzak quickly turned his phone off.

_Three months his ass. _

He made a fast yet decent ran for it, hoping he could catch the Foreign Minister in time before the man reaches his office or, better yet, before he makes it through the front desks.

"Mr. Grant!" Yzak called.

The old man did not turn around at once, but the rest did as he had gotten closer. And at the struck of luck, four M9 pistols were instantly pointed at his forehead causing him to halt on his track. Yzak cursed inside. He had observed right.

The Foreign Minister peered through the box formation he was suddenly enclosed in. The man raised both eyebrows at the scene. He opened his mouth and thankfully vouched for him. "It's all right, men. Put the guns down." The man waved. "I know him. He's a good kid."

00000

Jon Emerson Grant, the Foreign Minister of Atlantic Federation was a tall, slightly stout with genteel looks, his features strong if not precisely chiselled for a sixty-two year old man. He was currently the eldest among the Atlantic Federation Cabinet and, surprisingly, who Yzak thought to be the most approachable one, at the moment.

He was one of the few who had stayed in position after the extermination of Logos and when Atlantic Federation President Joseph Copeland fell out of power.

Yzak glanced over at the slightly balding, now sharply-dressed dark-eyed man as the sixty-two years old re-entered his office after a quick change of clothes.

"I can't believe someone as important as you would leave the office at office hours." Yzak said, standing on one side while glancing around the well-furnished room without touching anything.

"... Went out for a little stroll. It's bad for the health to be cooped up inside the office for long hours, you know." He told him, fiddling with his tie before pressing it straight down. And once the old man thought he looked presentable enough, he took a seat on his office couch and gestured Yzak to do the same.

"Come. Don't stand, Mr. Joule... Sit. Sit." The man insisted, at the same time the secretary from outside came in and set down a couple of drinks on top of the coffee table found in between couches. "I rarely have unexpected visitors, you know." The man began sounding a little disappointed.

Yzak made his way to the parallel chair then shrugged. "Maybe because it's impractical." He said, completely aware of how inappropriate it had been to suddenly barged in on him like this.

Mr. Grant scoffed at this. "Nonsense, I am a grown man. I can handle my own schedules. I am the Foreign Minister for Pete's sake, I should be doing more of these things. So what brings you to my humble office?" the man said, accommodatingly changing the subject. "How long was it since we've last seen each other? Have you been on earth long?"

"I have been on earth for a while. I was a part of the few who was assigned to the DTW project." Yzak replied. And as for why he was in his office... He just came here looking for the Foreign Minister on impulse, thinking that the man would be able to give some answers to his questions, though he had not quite figure out- what type of questions he needed answering yet. Yzak figured he will just have to wing it until then.

"Ah... yes. The DTW. Yes. Yes." Mr. Grant leaned in; reached for a cup containing some kind of herbal tea and took a sip. "How is it by the way?"

"Operations have been running smoothly. Quota will be reached by the end of April. Next year."

Mr. Grant nodded at this. "Mmm... That's good." He placed the cup back down. "News has it that Council Member Lacus Clyne has given birth. How is she?"

Yzak nodded once, "A baby girl. I haven't had the time to pay her a visit, but I believe she's doing very well. Although I'm a little embarrassed that that's been the highlight of PLANTs news for the past three weeks."

"Hmmm... If you ask me. PLANTs' concrete support for Council Member Lacus Clyne is something Atlantic Federation should be envious about, don't you think?"

Yzak glanced away and looked around; he did not want to answer that. He was a certified fan of Lacus Clyne himself, but he thought- the media featuring Lacus' personal life for three consecutive weeks was a little over the top.

"Lacus will be returning to the office after another three weeks." Yzak said plainly.

Mr. Grant bend over for his drink again while Yzak left his share untouched.

"So I've heard."

Eventually, Yzak's cool blue eyes made its way to the a bunch of wooden frames that was hanging on the walls behind to the Foreign Minister.

"Who's that on the picture with you? The one on the top left." Yzak asked. "I mean... if you don't mind me asking."

The man turned to his back, taking a glimpse at the pictures behind him.

"Oh, that's my son." He said then frowned. "He passed away in a car accident nearly twenty years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault."

"What about the second one, bottom left?" Yzak asked, this time eyes shifting to another picture of five men posing in front of a what seemed like a nightclub.

The old man turned around again.

"Ah. Those... Those are my college associates; lost their lives serving the military during the First Bloody Valentine War."

At the news, Yzak frowned and scanned the rows of photograph hanging on the wall with quick calculating eyes. It wasn't surprising that he was unfamiliar with most of them, but what bothered him was the ones he did recognized... Yzak cringed... were all of deceased politicians.

Suddenly, Yzak felt an unwanted gloom in the air, and he shifted on his seat somewhat drawing up an uncomfortable conclusion about the photographs that hanged on the wall.

"I can tell what you are thinking..." Mr. Grant said. And Yzak figured this was probably due to the expression on his face.

The man began by pushing himself to his feet. Yzak followed by taking his butt of the couch as well. But unlike the Foreign Minister, he decided to stay where he was while the elder man slowly made his way the wall with frames behind him.

The Foreign Minister sighed. "You are wondering- why would an old man like me put up such a depressing wall inside his office, right?"

Yzak shrugged. "I wasn't thinking- old."

"The missis been pressing me to take them all down. Too many sad memories, she said. Nonetheless, I still keep them up anyway. Do you know why, Mr. Joule?" Mr. Grant asked, pausing for awhile, though it was obvious he wasn't really expecting Yzak to answer. He tucked both hands behind his back and deeply gazed into one of the pictures. "They serve me as reminder that- War isn't worth it as life's too short."

There was a momentary silence after that.

As much as Yzak felt sorry for the Minister for his lost, Yzak reminded himself that he wasn't there to grieve. Yzak regarded the Foreign Minister for a moment, seemingly considering something, and stated.

"Mr. Grant, I was wondering why you haven't appointed a new deputy to succeed you since Vice Foreign Minister Allster... Despite the fact that you are planning to retire soon." Yzak trailed off then shrugged when Mr. Grant simply stared at him with a neutral expression. "I... read about it." He added.

Neither of them spoke right away. Finally, when the silence became strained, Mr. Grant frowned.

"Kindly sit down. Mr. Joule." The elder man requested with every ounce of seriousness in his tone as he made his way back to the coach; made himself comfortable and planted a hand on each knee. "Mr. Joule, I have been thinking of retirement for a long time. After all, I've been in service for eight years as I have been assigned by the President to fill this position time and time again." He explained. "And I can assure you that I have encountered plenty of capable- yes, very capable candidates- who would be delighted to assist and replace me at any time. But I'm sure this isn't why you came here today, is it?"

"Then why haven't you taken one of them under your wing yet?" Yzak continued neutrally.

Mr. Grant leaned back onto the backrest and grunted. "Well... you could say... It's been really difficult trying to find someone to replace the Vice Foreign Minister after all that he had accomplished."

...

"Earth Alliance is breaking apart and it is decaying as we speak, did you know?"

Yzak said nothing, but he did look surprised at the news, and Mr. Grant took regard of his reaction.

"Now, this isn't some kind of huge military secret; I assure you. The Nations Earth Alliance is consist of have always been struggling with each other for influence and power even before the war between Earth and the PLANTs grew all but inevitable."

Mr. Grant explained. He sighed deeply before finishing his tea.

"It was CE 68. I was in my second term as the Atlantic Federation's Foreign Minister when I nominated an aspiring political advisor, George Allster, as my deputy.

He was, as I recall- a smart, hard-working, and an ambitious man. He came to my office one day claiming he wanted to bring the Nations of Earth together. So I humoured him by assigning him to Foreign Diplomatic Affairs despite knowing his genuine interest would be nothing but a lost cause. Eurasia and East Asia would never pledge alliance with the Atlantic at all cause. I know. I've tried. It's fact. Regardless of this knowledge, George Allster just kept working desperately to find a way to end the war. That's how commendable that man was." Mr. Grant shook his head earnestly.

Yzak simply watched him in silence, eagerly waiting for the man to continue.

"It was not until CE 70. After the Tragedy of Copernicus that George Allster proposed a temporary solution to bring the Nations of the world together. That's when and how Earth Alliance was established.

Although the result of affiliation may have been merely a temporary ceasefire, the established alliance itself meant a lot to the people of earth. And George Allster's name was instantly recognized across the globe as Atlantic Federation's man of peace.

And just when I was ready to step down from my post, the most tragic happens... Allster died on an escort ship while on his way to retrieve his daughter in war.

Atlantic Federation of course was devastated. I was devastated.

And as the war continued without him, the strong undercurrent of mistrust went on with federation conspiring behind fellow federation without control. And this abomination happened all throughout the first and second war. And it had only worsened when Logo's decided to destroy Eurasia's Main Control." Mr. Grant shook his head. "Earth Alliance have never been the same. If a third war does not happen on PLANTs, war will happen on Earth."

The Minister took a deep breath and cleared his throat after his long narrative.

"Are you going to drink that, Mr. Joule?"

Yzak stared down at his untouched tea.

"Uh. No. You can have it."

"Thank you." The man took the cup and poured the entire content down his throat. "As I was saying... So what the Atlantic Federation Cabinet is doing right now is trying to find ways to prevent this madness from happening, but it's proving to be quite difficult now that the Former Vice Foreign Minister is gone." He said, setting the cup aside.

"Why are you suddenly telling me all of these?"

"Hmm... why indeed... Maybe because I think you are a good kid." He set the cup down next to the first one. "And you look like the type who would like to know these things, am I wrong?" Mr. Grant smiled. "or is this not what you came here for?"

Yzak said nothing, but it aggravated him a bit that the man was right both ways.

"You know what? Maybe I would like to share a secret with you. There is actually a very simple reason why I haven't appointed anyone as my deputy as of yet, and why the Board still wants me to stay. You see. The Board and I already have a person in mind whom we'd like to succeed me when I retire. Flay Allster, George Allster's daughter, you are familiar with her, right? She seems well-suited for the post, don't you agree?"

Yzak's eye lit up at the matter and Mr. Grant watched as it did.

_It was like as those engineers had said._

"You are joking, right?"

"I do not joke about serious matters."

Yzak's eyes narrowed. "I'm aware she's George Allster's daughter, but why her when she has no political background of whatsoever?"

"And you are claiming Council Member Lacus Clyne does?"

Yzak shut his mouth and fell silent for a moment.

"I will be honest with you that- it's not how well-versed she is on Political Science that we are after. It's how she influences the people; how she can make them listen. Other than that, well... That is what I'm still here for. I'll be training her hands on through the entire course." Mr. Grant smiled at Yzak who opened his mouth to retort.

"What good would that do? She's not her father."

"True, and we don't expect her to be. You see, Mr. Joule. What the World needs right now is something to calm people down. And it just so happens, Flay Allster fits perfectly for the cause. Her participation with us can turn Atlantic Federation towards the better and may actually help lower the chance of another war on both Earth and PLANTs."

"This... because of her father had brought about?" Yzak didn't sound convince.

"This sound unbelievably cliché, I know... But Daughters' succeeding their father's will... Stories of this kind... moves people." Mr. Grant explained.

"So the result the Atlantic is after... is somewhat similar to what happened during the war? The sudden increase of Military Volunteers..." Yzak said, recalling what his co-workers had mentioned the other day.

"Exactly. However, I also would like you to know that Flay Allster had continuously turned us down. Would you happen to know why?"

_Why she turned them down?_

At first, Yzak thought Mr. Grant was again doing one of those monologues. Thus, he paid no real attention to this... However, when the room fell silent. Yzak realized only then that the last question had been intended for him.

_The hell?_ "How would I know why?" He said. Paused. Just after an afterthought hit him...

Yzak felt his stomach turnover. Maybe... Just maybe... He did know why she did. And somewhere in the back of his head, he felt guiltily responsible to have pulled her down from this eminent opportunity.

_Shit. _

"Mr. Grant..."

The man was actually studying his face.

"Yes?"

"Would it matter if... suppose that... Someone like Flay Allster were suddenly... to have a... dau-..."

"A daughter?" Mr. Grant decided to finish for him.

"You knew?" Yzak fell almost speechless.

"Of course, I knew. Sweet girl. I would not just randomly invite someone to join the Cabinet without thoroughly knowing who and what type of person they are, Mr. Joule." The Foreign Minister smirked in contrast to Yzak's frown.

And Yzak felt himself instantly tense up at the smug look Mr. Grant threw at him. Yzak doubt the Foreign Minister had not yet made the connection between him and Kaitlyn, but Yzak was actually relieved the old man had not brought up the obvious any further.

Yzak pressed both his hands together into a tight squeeze.

"Will she... cause problems?... because I... don't want her getting hurt or anything..."

"The little girl... cause problems? No. no. Certainly not." Mr. Grant shook his head. "The Broads and I predict the mass would be more baffled from finding out Flay Allster's a single mother than pay attention to what her daughter is. Be that as it may, if this Nation cannot even accept one innocent little girl then how does this Nation expect to find peace with PLANTs as a whole?"

Yzak bowed his head. He knew Mr. Grant was right, but he still felt uneasy about the whole thing.

"What if the unwanted happens? And this turns into a riot."

Mr. Grant frowned at this. "That's what we are trying to avoid. The best we can do is offer protection and desperately hope, a third war does not erupt from it."

Yzak said nothing and twiddled his fingers weighting the options in his head.

Sensing the Coordinator's distress, the man decided to add by waving the matter off. "But don't worry too much about it. Like what I have said, Flay Allster has declined my offer and expressed her sincere desire to stay clear from the media. So what else can I do but respect her request for privacy."

Looking at Yzak now, Mr. Grant's eyes softened.

"Tell me. Are you a family-oriented man, Mr. Joule? I know I am." He asked out of the blue causing Yzak to lift his head up, meeting the man's gaze.

Although Yzak was not sure what this had to do with anything, "I am." He nodded, and at his reply, Mr. Grant smiled, gently.

"Then I am sure you and I will get along very well."

00000

After the chat with Foreign Minister Grant, the next couple of hours was like something from one of Yzak's worst nightmares.

All day long, all he had end up doing was patiently wait for Flay. He had waited for her and Kaitlyn to return from their usual Saturday walk. He had waited for her before and after he took them out to dinner... Eagerly anticipating for the right time to bring up the one question that had been bugging him all day. This was proven to be quite a difficult for him to bear, of course, due to his impatient nature.

At nine, he watched Flay tuck Kaitlyn into bed. Somehow, this little act seemed to have turned into a consistent habit of his.

"Awww... but I'm not sleepy yet." The little girl yawned.

"Kaitlyn, do we have to go through this everyday?" Flay said gently but firmly.

Kaitlyn glanced up at her mother before she turned her gaze to Yzak by the door.

"But I want Uncle Yzak to tell me more stories about Eynshent Artifakts. Uncle Yzak said, he would..."

_Wow_. Yzak blinked at this. He had never been used by Kaitlyn as an excuse to get out of bed before.

Yzak tucked a hand away inside his side pocket then shrugged. "Be a good girl and listen to your mother. I will tell you more about those tomorrow."

Flay smiled victoriously at her whining daughter. "You heard the man."

"Awwww..." Kaitlyn wailed for the last time; threw her head back on the pillow; and at some later time, fell asleep.

Careful not to make a noise, Yzak walked out first then watched Flay, who was close behind him, slip out of Kaitlyn's room and shut the door.

There was silence after that as both pondered what to do.

Eventually, Flay was the one who broke the silence first. She glanced up at Yzak. "I'll see you out."

Yzak frowned. Nonetheless, he lead their way down the stairs. _Should he ask her?_ Perplexed, Yzak gripped a hand on the wooden rails hard. _He wanted to ask her... He needed to ask her... _Yzak knew this was partly none of his business_, but he had to know!_

Yzak whipped his head around. He paused a few steps from the bottom in effect caused Flay to stop at the steps right above him. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something..."

"What is it?" Flay asked, meeting his gaze before he broke the momentary connection.

"In private." He added immediately; hinting towards Frances at the adjoining dinning room, watching the news on television.

Flay was forced to raise an inquisitive eyebrow at him before obliging to his request.

"Frances, could you please give us a minute of privacy?"

"Ah. Certainly, Ms." Frances nodded, but didn't proceed right away into the back room. After a moment, she asked in a low voice, "should I turn off the television, Ms.?"

Flay shook her head. "No, It's fine. Just leave it on."

The mid-age woman gave another understanding nod before she exited through the back.

When Frances was confirmed gone, Flay smiled at Yzak and said quietly, "private enough for you?"

Yzak felt the blood rise to his cheek. It was a simple statement, but she spoke it with such quiet meaning that he felt strangely enticed by it. He considered that perhaps he was just more unrestrained than usual lately... But he still did not want to be in a place where he did not know, which reactions were normal and which were not.

_So what if he had been caught looking at Flay's picture at work. He was not ogling at her! Most definitely not!_

Yzak shook his head out of reverie. He nodded at Flay then stood aside so that she could go around him; down the stairs and into her own living room.

"Right, well... Do you want something to drink?" Flay offered.

"That wouldn't be necessary. I just wanted to clear up something before I leave."

"And what would that be?" Flay's eyes softened as she looked at him.

Her eyes were discreetly studying his face as though trying to read his expression. And he regarded her for a minute more as if contemplating the appropriate way to proceed. In the end, Yzak decided it would be best to get right to the point.

"Sources tell me you were offered the position of Vice Foreign Minister but you turned it down. Why?" Actually, he had already thought of a fair idea why she did it. All he wanted now was for Flay to confirm it.

Flay stared at him for a moment before blinking and replying flatly, "Oh, I see..." She inhaled slowly and cast her eyes to the top of a shelf, putting two and two together, her mind sinking into deep thought. "So this is what it was about. Did the Boards put you up to this?" She murmured darkly.

Yzak's brow furrowed. "Its not what you think. This has nothing to do with the board."

"Then why are you asking me this when clearly this has nothing to do with you?" She asked, her voice reflecting her immense disgust.

"I like to be well-informed." Yzak said simply in a low firm voice then crossed his arms. "I hate being left out of a conversation! Do you understand the ignorance I had to bear when I ran into a couple your fanboys at work. I was not aware you were so popular!"

Flay frowned deeply at this and opened her mouth, but Yzak decided he was not going to let her speak until he got his point across and went on.

"Look, I don't want to deduce my own conclusion. Nothing good seems to come out from it when you are concerned." He recalled his incident with her at the horse ranch, the coffee can at the park and several more other incidents. "All we end up doing is argue." He explained quietly, determined to hold back his temper. "I don't want an argument just an explanation." The last thing he wanted was another argument her.

Yzak watched the red-haired girl with contempt through narrowed eyes.

"You once told me you wanted peace to last. Yet when you were given the chance to make a difference, you turn away from it! You have the influence to make change at your grasp. So why didn't you take it?"

Flay walked off to the side; turned around to look Yzak in the face, and stifled a sigh. "So are you angry at me for turning them down?"

Flay did her best to concentrate on their conversations that had nothing to do with the demands of polite small talk. She could feel Yzak's eyes on her, following her as she turned. She could hear his voice, every word he spoke, even when he was on the other side of the room.

"Depends on your answer."

Pushing the doubt from her mind for now, Flay cleared her throat and said quietly, "It's not like I turned Mr. Grant down because I did not want to help him advocate peace... He and my father had been upholding international affairs and establishing peace at this nation's international borders together for years. He is practically the next closest person I have for a father. If I could do something to help... I would. But there's nothing I can do..."

She paused here so that he could comment if he wished, but he only blinked once, frowned, and said confusedly,

"What are you talking abo-?"

"Because I am scared, okay?" Flay snapped.

For the past four years, she had been running; hiding away from the media. She had convinced herself so many times that if she keeps a low profile then slowly people would forget that George Allster had a daughter or presume she was dead and just end it with that... or at least she had hoped.

Flay shook her head sadly. "This influence people keep telling me I have right now is not mine... It's a privilege my father and his friend have worked so hard on over the years. I have no doubt in my mind that the influence my father had left could help bring about amity to this nation... His influence is not the problem. It's me..." she trailed off, letting her gaze wander around.

She picked up a tiny marble figurine on the shelves and run her fingers through its smooth cuts before she looked up catching a glimpse of the television screen that had been left on just in time to see Lacus Clyne on an interview after three weeks from her delivery.

"Everyone on PLANTs must love her... Lacus I mean." Flay said; her voice soft but clear.

"She's doing what she can to protect PLANTs from another war..." said Yzak flatly.

"She seems perfect..." Flay said gently, placing the figurine back down.

Yzak frowned as she looked at him, wondering where she was going with this. "Hardly."

Flay shook her head and allowed a faint smile to tug at the corners of her mouth, "Her father had been a notable Council Member in PLANTs. But despite that, she had earned her own fame and the people's trust through her own voice and actions. And although she may not seem like it for always being kind and respectful to others... She has enough courage to lead a ship and fight along side everyone in both wars."

Flay could feel her throat constricting as the deluge of tears threatened.

"I can't be like that... I can't do what she did."

Flay heard Yzak say her name, and it only made her more frantic.

"You don't understand!" Flay shook her head violently and tried to suppress her emotions, but it couldn't be done. She wasn't sobbing, but her heavy breathing and sniffling echoed in the nearly empty living room. "I can't represent Atlantic Federation... I'm not like Lacus and I'm not like you... I can't fight. I can't lead an army or pilot a mobile suit and I don't want to!"

Flay ducked her head, letting a curtain of hair hide her face as she continued more gentle now from the burning in her throat.

"I can't kill people... I'm not strong enough... neither enemy nor ally... I can't take someone's life knowing that that person's death will only lead to devastated loved-ones, similar to what war had brought about to mine." Flay felt her shoulders shake. "I would rather pretend to be dead than end up tarnishing my father's good name. I'd prefer to go into hiding to protect my family than risk them to harm... I really can't represent Atlantic Federation..."

Now, she was having trouble getting her words out, and Flay wished with all her might that Yzak would not make her talk anymore. She sounded pitiful.

Flay stepped back from the shelf and covered her mouth with her hand as her hazy eyes spilled hot tears onto her cheeks.

"I know Blue Cosmos and Logos are gone. But I'm still scared to think what the mass would do if they found out about Kaitlyn." Flay could not deny that there are still lingering traces of the organization's influence lingering at the park, at Kaitlyn's school, all around them; and she did not quite know how to explain to Yzak the fear she was feeling.

Yzak nodded before Flay could start again, his features softened a bit. "I knew you would say that. I didn't expect anything less." He said firmly, which surprised Flay who forced her teary gaze up to his face. "Still and all... What's wrong about wanting to protect family?" Yzak raised before taking a quick breather. "Someday, when I have a family of my own... I wouldn't want my wife and kids running into the battlefield taking lives and gambling their own... I'll do that for them!" He declared; Flay's eyes widen.

He looked at her for a long time, shrugged, and then waited a beat before adding,

"Anyway, about representing Atlantic Federation... I know it may not be easy, but making a difference never is. I know you are scared. And I won't force you to consider it because this is your decision to make. But you know... I honestly believe you'd be great if you tried... No one will think any less of you."

Flay glanced at him then, and he returned it solemnly before taking his leave. But just before he walked out the door, Yzak stalled with his hand on the doorframe, "Don't worry. Like I said, I just wanted to confirm."

Telling Yzak what she could not share with anyone else, Flay could hardly believe how her heart felt ten times lighter for the moment, at least. "Thank you." She whispered, sending him a small smile. And Yzak nodded once and replied,

"See you tomorrow."

Flay rubbed a hand to her cheek, wiping the tears from her eye.

"Yes."


	11. Deep in the Heart

**A/N: **Thank you Aixyutin, nequam-tenshi, Rickrolled, princess_shayera, Rinhail, G. Wingsy, FIRE LADY OREN, LittleBlueNayru, Thawn716, Star, Minch THE Mighty, Xx Meisha xX, ayanamiyuy, WestAnimeBrigade, and Big-Babidi for deciding to leave a review.

Rawr! It's 2010. I got sidetracked again. :(

I apologize for bad grammar.

I am hoping this chapter isn't too messed up. Comments and Criticism are highly appreciated. Thanks.

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 11: Deep in the Heart  
**

* * *

Early Sunday morning. After making a quick pit stop in the bathroom, Yzak found his mobile phone ringing. He placed a huge blue towel on his bed and then with a sigh, sat his freshly showered posterior next it. Athrun was the last person he was expecting to hear from, but there Athrun was on the other end of the line sending him an early invitation to a New Year's party that was still months away.

"You are coming, right?"

Yzak went over to the closet to take out some clothes and a pair of socks. "I'm a little busy. I'll have to think about it."

"Yzak, it's months away. It's New Year. I'm sure you can make adjustments."

"Well. Who sends out God damn party invitations months in advance?"

"Well... Cagalli wanted everyone to make it. Is that so bad?"

"I can't believe you would drop so low as to do that girl's bidding whenever she asks you to. Can't she send out her own invitations? I'm sure she still has plenty of time for that!"

"Actually, Yzak... I was the one who offered to help her." Athrun explained.

"You're actually groveling now? Wow. You just never cease to amaze me. You're becoming more pathetic than I thought!" Yzak scoffed.

"Groveling? I was being considerate! Cagalli's really busy at the moment and she's always exhausted from work. The way the representatives and nobles are pressuring her all of the time, doesn't make her job any easier or less stressful. So I'm simply doing whatever I can to help her out."

"Yeah. Yeah. Use any excuse you want. It still doesn't change the fact she doesn't make time for you unless you begged her for it. You're selling yourself short by sticking to her like a stupid lapdog! Why don't you just get your miserable butt back to PLANTs and ZAFT where you are appreciated."

"Yzak, don't change the subject. I'll take your shit but only up to a certain point... Will you be coming to the party or not?"

"Well. I am right, aren't I? After all you have given up in PLANTs to be with her in ORB. She still takes you for granted! I bet she never even thought to look for you, not once, because you pathetically wait for her hand and foot!" Yzak stated leading Athrun murmur something inaudible in the background. "What was that?"

"You know what? Do what you want! I don't give a damn whether you show up or not!"

"It's not like I want to see you either!"

"I'm hanging up!"

"Good riddance!"

They hanged-up at the same time.

Yzak shook his head.

Honestly, that Athrun frustrates him most of the time for being an absolute idiot. He was supposed to be his rival wasn't he? And now, he had allowed himself to sink from a ZAFT Redcoat to taking orders from that opinionated blunt Natural woman!

_Athrun is such a dumbass!_

_Love and stupidity must go hand in hand. And look, what a coincidence, here was another idiot who had fallen head-over-heels for a Natural woman as well!_ thought Yzak, upon catching a blinking icon on his mobile phone with Dearka's name on it. _At least Dearka had enough brains to return and not leave PLANTs too!_

Checking the file, Yzak realized, the message was dated a day old. Then it came back to him_._ He had nearly forgotten that he had instructed Dearka to leave him a message instead... Yzak quickly pressed the accept button and hoped what the easygoing blond wanted to say was nothing of real importance.

_Click. _

_You have one new message. Beeeeppp... _

_"Hey, Yzak. Guess where I am right now? I'm in the men's room making you this call. How lucky, am I? Your mom's been breathing down my neck ever since she found out you got transferred. So you can stop sending her those phony messages about your everyday life in Aprilius One now. _

_I end up telling her the same story I told Lacus but I don't think she believes me. She doesn't seem to be as ecstatic as Lacus was when I told her. _

_Oh, and I thought you should know... Your mom just booked us the next c5 shuttle to Earth. She threatened me not let you know about this but I thought you should... Look, I have to go. Your mom's waiting for me outside._

_Oh, wait! Before I forget... Could you do me a favor and act all surprised when you see her 'cause if you don't she'll know that I called... And that's not going to be good for me."_

The closing beep trailed off...

And Yzak stared at his phone mindlessly for one whole minute before he could come up with a proper reaction. One thought. Two words. _Oh,_ _shit! _Yzak bolted from bed. He realized as he ran a hand through his silky silver hair- how deep in trouble he was right now from being found out before he could actually explain.

His mother, Ezalia Joule, wasn't supposed to find out about this. He wasn't ready to tell her everything yet!

Agitated, Yzak quickly speed dialed Dearka's number, trying to get in contact with him several times but failed. The blond's phone seemed to be out of reach; if not turned off. And only God knows where Dearka along with his mother could be right now... Unless he could figure it out.

Now-a-days, it only takes a day to travel from PLANTs to Earth and vice versa.

_Shit, what time is it? What time did they leave? _Yzak scrambled for his wristwatch and shoes all the while checking the time Dearka had sent him the message. Yzak cursed at what he'd discovered. _They're practically off the shuttle by now!_

_Where will his mother decide to head first? To a hotel, here, or to Flay's? _Yzak raked his brain trying to figure it out. But "Damn it!" He didn't know! What he did know though was he needed to find his mother before she finds out about Kaitlyn.

_Wait. Do they even know where Flay lives?_

Yzak grabbed his coat from the chair and dialed Flay's number as he rushed out the door. And agonizingly, he was forced listen to her phone ring as he descended the stairs in a hurry.

_Damn... Hurry and pick up._

00000

Minutes later, at Allster's residential building,

"Are they here?" Yzak said first thing in between panting breath as he stormed into Flay's living room without a second thought. And he realized too late that he had rudely let himself in when Flay had jump out from a dining chair from shock.

"Who?" Flay asked.

Yzak scanned the nearly empty living room, except for them, with a sigh of relief.

Apparently, Flay had been alone quietly watching television by herself before he had barged in unexpectedly.

"Yzak, what are you talking about?" Flay asked, walking up to him.

"Why weren't you answering any of my calls? I was calling you nonstop!" Yzak yelled at Flay the moment they came three feet apart.

Flay swallowed at Yzak's harsh tone, unaware why he was suddenly so upset and angry. "I- I'm sorry. I left my mobile phone upstairs and I- I hadn't heard it ringing... Why, what's wrong?"

"Where's Kaitlyn?" He asked her urgently, turning his head left and right scanning the living room for the girl with quick sharp eyes.

"Kaitlyn is upstairs..." Flay answered before shaking her head. "Yzak, please tell me what's going on..." she pleaded, eyes reflecting exactly what she was feeling. "You're scaring me."

Yzak turned to Flay when she placed a trembling hand on his sleeve. And he compelled himself to keep a stiff upper lip at the time his chest tightened at her wide eyes and troubled expression.

"My mother... is here on Earth... She found out about us. No! What I meant was- my mother found out that I've been transferred here by ZAFT."

Flay was forced to raise a brow at this, heavily confused. "You... Didn't tell her that you were on earth?"

At this little truth, Yzak bit his lip. "I-... didn't...I couldn't..." Yzak admitted frowning.

To be brutally honest, he was afraid if he had told his mother... Ezalia Joule would come visit him way more often than necessary, which would likely increase the chances of her running into Flay and Kaitlyn. Then again, _maybe he should have told her..._ Yzak cringed, realizing the mistake. At least his mother wouldn't be so highly suspicious of why he had to keep his current location a secret from her, if he had.

Yzak shook his head as to clear it. "The reason doesn't matter now! Dearka had to make up some romantic nonsense about me with some girl here on earth! Mother doesn't seem happy about it. And I'm afraid you might get involved in the mess." _Because Dearka just had to tell his mother some stupid story to cover him up. He was so going to have to strangle Dearka!_

"Romantic nonsense?" Flay's brow stayed up, still somewhat having a hard time following all of this.

"It's a long story!" Yzak said then paused. He met Flay's eyes once again before looking away. "Look, I'm guessing my mother still doesn't know about Kaitlyn. And I…. want to keep it that way for a little longer." Yzak frowned for being particularly honest with her. "So if by chance she came over, I am asking you to deny everything and lock the doors... She's not hard to recognize..." Yzak went on. "She has th-"

"This is not how I pictured my son would welcome me but it's nice to see you too, Yzak."

At he sound of his name, Yzak felt a small devastating shiver crawled up his back, and he edgily turned his attention towards the door that had been left open. "M-mother!"

"And I see you have been expecting us." Ezalia Joule added causing Dearka who was right behind the woman to slap a hand to his face.

"How... How did you find me?" Yzak asked dumbstruck.

It took Ezalia Joule only three brisk pace to enter the living room.

"We got to your apartment just in time to catch your car making its way to the driveway." Dearka whispered, giving Yzak his answer when Ezalia didn't.

_They followed him?_ Yzak fell speechless. With all his military training and experience, one would think he would be aware that he was being followed. Yzak wanted to hang himself. He led his mother to Flay's house!

Yzak opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. Three times he repeated the action. Then he saw his mother tilt her head to the side and smirk.

"So you must be the girl Dearka have mentioned." Ezalia lowered her eyes at Flay who, in return, shuttled her eyes back and forth.

Yzak's mind battered then, unsure of what to do. It was like the world shifted around him. And time, _being an absolute traitor_, decided to abandon him fast, leaving him baffled and physically paralyze, staring at the mess.

From the corner of his eyes, he caught the sight of Dearka letting a pair of bags slide from his shoulders. In front of him, his mother took an advancing step towards Flay, saying something to her, which caused Flay to take a defensive step back. Dearka tried to intervene, but was brushed away by the displeased sophisticated lady.

The next thing Yzak knew, Kaitlyn came up from behind Flay, pulling on her jean shorts.

"Mama, who's the pretty lady?"

Flay looked down and so did everyone else.

Time stopped.

The room went silent as Ezalia went stock still.

_She saw her. _Yzak's thought exclaimed as he turned to see his mother's reaction.

He saw her blinked once and pressed a hand right above her chest, suddenly heaving quite hard. "Ezalia... Breathe..." He heard his mother trail off before he saw how her eyes alarmingly rolled back and the strengths of her legs gave away.

"Mother!"

"Mrs. Joule!"

00000

In the dark, from behind, an unfamiliar feminine voice said,

"I wonder if your mom's going to be all right."

Those were the exact first words Ezalia Joule had heard just after she had regained consciousness. Ezalia let her bright blue eyes slowly open. she blinked once, twice as the room's features came into focus, and found herself lying on a soft bed, on her left- in a recovery position inside an unfamiliar bedroom.

"Mother is going to be fine. She just fainted from shock."

Again, the voice came from the back. But it was a male who spoke this time. And although she could not see his face, Ezalia recognized that _delightful_ tone anywhere.

_Yzak. _She smiled gratefully before momentarily closing her eyes again. She breathed in with relief at the thought of her son was well.

"It was a good thing you caught her in time..." said the female.

Seeing that it was time to pay attention to what was in front of her now, soundlessly, Ezalia reopened her eyes again... Interesting enough, on the left side of the room, she saw Dearka on a wingback chair, trying to start up a conversation with a little girl whom, she recognized, was the one from before she had drawn a blank.

_Does this mean she's a grandmother?_

Having the opportunity to watch the girl more closely now, Ezalia smiled warmly. When it came to appearance, the little girl certainly took after their side of the family. She had the eyes; the hair. Regardless that she wore her hair with two little pigtails, Ezalia could not deny that the little girl came very close to resembling a little Yzak though a lot more cheerful, sweeter, and of having a more radiant bounce.

Watching her like this now, Ezalia was convinced that this little girl was, by far_, the most beautiful girl she has ever laid eyes upon._

"Hey Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn, do you remember me?" Dearka leaned in closer to Kaitlyn's seat, pointing at himself, towards his grinning face.

Kaitlyn tipped her head to the side. She stared at Dearka for a little while, and just kept staring at him with a blank face.

Silence. That was all there was between them when Dearka finally decided to break it with his disappointed conclusion.

"You... you don't remember me?" Dearka's eyes went wide at first before it lowered as he frowned. "Oh, now. Now that's just cruel..." He slouched forward in his display of hurt.

By the open window, Yzak sneered. "Serves you right."

Dearka pouted, ignoring him.

"You couldn't have just forgotten about me. I am Uncle Dearka, remember?" Dearka continued persistently. "I was the one who saved your hat and dog at the park, remember?"

Probably half wondering why she was even playing this strange memory game, Kaitlyn responded to this by letting her eye wander the room. Her eyes traveled from the small round flower vase set on the table in front of her; to the open window where Flay and Yzak were standing; to the bed where Ezalia 'was watching her from...

Kaitlyn inhaled with her mouth, part thrilled at her discovery. "Mama! Mama! Uncle Yzak's mama is awake!" the girl announced running towards her mother.

Ezalia's eyes lit up.

_Uncle Yzak? Not father, daddy, papa or ...?_

Seeing that there was no point in lying around anymore. Ezalia pressed a hand on the mattress to lever herself from bed.

"Mother, you should lie down. You must be tired since you came right over after the flight. Take your time and get some rest." Yzak said upon assisting his mother back into an upright sitting position slowly just because the woman refused to lie back down.

"I'm fine, Yzak. I'm fine."

Watching the two, "Ummm... Is there anything I could get you? Anything you need?" Flay asked from the side.

Ezalia regard Flay warily. "Water, please."

Flay nodded once and headed out for the kitchen.

"Mother, you really should rest for a while." Yzak insisted, spreading out a blanket.

"I said I'm fine, Yzak."

"Here's the water." Flay said, returning with a glass.

Ezalia thanked her for the drink and took a sip.

Flay smiled slightly, her head still tilted to one side. "Will there be anything else?"

"How about a word then?" Ezalia replied causing Yzak to tense up beside his mother.

"Beg your pardon?" Flay eyes widen, unsure whether she had heard the woman right.

"I would like to have a word with you, may I?" Ezalia clarified resulting Yzak's jaw to drop automatically.

"WHAT!" Yzak gasped causing Kaitlyn who was beside him to jump a little. "Mother, if you need information you can always ask me!" He told her, slapping a hand to his dress shirt.

"Yes. I know that, Yzak. And we will certainly have plenty to talk about later at my hotel suite. But right now..." Ezalia turned to Flay's direction. "I would like to have a talk with the young lady. Of course, if she would allow it." Ezalia smiled one of her smiles. "I won't bite." She told Flay in a cunning tone.

Flay swallowed hard.

Yzak gritted his teeth.

"I suppose… it would be all right..."

00000

Outside the guestroom.

Yzak, being the last one out, closed the door behind them; bewildered and irritated at what had happened just now.

Whipping his head around, "this is all your fault!" Yzak started after he had managed to release the doorknob with a great amount mental of effort.

"My fault? How is this my fault?" Dearka argued after helping Kaitlyn settle down on a fauteuil within the same hallway.

"You brought my mother here!" Yzak pointed to Dearka accusingly.

"Hey. Hey. I'm the victim here. I wasn't the one who was found lying and missing on his birthday yet here I am- borrowed and dragged from the military to escort your mom."

Yzak rolled his eyes. "You just had to tell my mother the same stupid nonsense you told Lacus!"

Kaitlyn's eyes shifted from Yzak to Dearka as the two argued.

"I was trying to maintain one set of lie. What would you have me do? Tell everyone who asked about you a different story?"

"No. I expected you to use your brain and come up with a more justified explanation! You could have simply told her that I was reassigned by the council to Earth!" This part was true of course. "and refer whatever details you can not answer as classified information!"

"Oh." Dearka frowned at the realization. "Wow... you're right. Why didn't I think of that sooner..." He said monotonously, before throwing himself on the vacant chair found next to Kaitlyn's. Looking rather pissed as well now, Dearka slouched on the chair then used the armrest for his bent arm and hand to hold up his head. "It certainly beats having to call and lie to your own mother everyday thence we would not be here right now."

00000

"I apologize for barging into your house like this. It was quite rude of me." Ezalia began, watching Flay take the seat Kaitlyn had previously occupied.

Once she was settled, Flay shook her head. "No. It's all right." she sighed as well as sweat dropped. "I seem be getting this quite a lot lately..."

Ezalia tucked her hands on her lap. "I don't believe we have been properly introduced yet. As you may already know, I'm Yzak's mother, Ezalia Joule. And you are?" She asked, watching Flay who seemed somewhat uncomfortable stiffed up on her seat.

"Flay. Flay Allster."

"Allster... Allster..." Ezalia was thoughtful for a while. "Could you, by any chance, be related to Atlantic Federation's George Allster?"

"You knew my father?" Flay asked.

Ezalia shook her head. "George Allster was a very influential man in his time."

"Oh, I see..." Flay trailed off, eyeing away.

"Please, be honest with me." Ezalia added soon before the room could come to an awkward silence. "Has my son given you any trouble?"

Flay was forced to glance up at Ezalia again, trying not to be disrespectful as they spoke. "Oh, no. Not at all." She said in her usual quiet calm tone of voice. "Yzak has been nothing but kind lately." She continued.

"Is that so..." Ezalia turned her gaze to her folded hands that made her look like she really had to think about what Flay had just said; a sad smile formed on her lips. "She's beautiful by the way. Kaitlyn."

"Ah. Thank you."

"To tell you the truth, I always wanted a daughter. I wanted a charming girl who I can frequently take shopping. Don't get me wrong, I love Yzak with all my heart but I can't really bring him anywhere." She shared with a light laugh.

00000

Back at the hallway.

Dearka decided to waste the time by heedlessly juggle a pillow over his head while Kaitlyn beside him, who was also in a chair, idly swung her legs back and forth. Yzak, however, being too agitated to sit down, decided to simply pace the hall in front of everyone. That is until he stopped of course.

And Dearka noticed just how Yzak irritably yet confusedly lifted his chin up when a pair of weak feminine laughter escaped from the next room.

"They're laughing! They're actually laughing?" Yzak announced in an I-can't-believe-this tone.

"I don't know about you... but it seems to be going well in there." Dearka said as he watched the cotton filled case go up and down again.

"What could possibly go well in there?" Yzak's eyes darted wildly at Dearka who was too busy playing with the pillow.

"Well... Something must be must be going right with the interview for them to be laughing together like this." Dearka said.

"Interview? what interview?" Yzak's eyes grew wide in slight panic.

"This set up seems like a marriage interview, don't you think?" Dearka grinned at the male, part teasing him.

Yzak's whole body tense up at the spot; his cheek went pale, for an instant, before they flushed more scarlet than before.

"That is not funny!"

Dearka simply shrugged at this and continued to spin the angular pillow with his fingers. "Well. This is what this scene looks like to me. I'm only being honest." He said, leading Yzak to growl under his breath, baring his teeth.

"You want to be honest? I'll give you honest!" Yzak crossed the distance between them in three, quick steps and swiftly kicked the footstool away when Yzak caught Dearka about to put his legs up on it, regrettably.

_This is going to be a long one_, Dearka thought lazily.

Knowing Yzak... He always does have a lot to say. And from his divine experience with the hot tempered Coordinator, Dearka knew better than anyone that Yzak was walking dictionary slash machine gun when it came to shooting insults.

"If it wasn't for your fu-!" Yzak bit his tongue.

And Dearka could not help but raise an eyebrow.

"Cat got your tongue?" Dearka said, watching Yzak, despite the male's obvious tightened fist, take a questioning step back from him; plus a couple more until he spun around.

"Unlike you, I got better things to do!" Yzak declared, making his way to the other direction.

The pillow freely fell down on Dearka's lap.

"And don't you dare follow me!" Yzak shouted after five large steps, forcing Dearka to stay on his seat for a short period of time.

Dearka watched Yzak walk out of the hallway. He could tell from Yzak brisk pace that he was off to throw his anger else where.

And being the good friend he was as well as him being so used to this type of scenario, Dearka placed both hands on each knee ready to go after him, of course, only to be he surprisingly halted once again when his butt had departed a few centimeters away from the cushion.

"I said, don't follow me!" came Yzak's resounding shout from down somewhere.

Kaitlyn stopped swinging her legs at the same time Dearka almost actually stood up.

"Why is Uncle Yzak mad?" Kaitlyn blinked, looking at Dearka, confused.

Then Dearka caught on. If he were to go after Yzak now. Kaitlyn being alone would most likely follow and end up witnessing all of Yzak's pent up fury and _colorful_ vocabulary.

_Ohhh... Okay..._

Dearka leaned back down on the furniture; placed his legs on top of the matching footstool after he moved it back to place; and threw his hands behind his head in a confident yet relax pose.

"Is mama and uncle Yzak's mama laughing bad?"

Dearka stared at the wall in front of him. "Nah. There's nothing wrong with them laughing." He told her. Tipping his head a little, Dearka glanced at Kaitlyn who he noticed was frowning now. "Uncle Yzak was just overreacting. Everything will be fine so don't worry about it, okay?"

Kaitlyn stared at Dearka; stared at the closed door; then stared at the ground thinking hard.

Although still clearly bothered by the thought, Kaitlyn let out a soft "Hmmm..." before returning her attention to her legs and went back to swinging them back and forth, idly waiting.

00000

Ezalia Joule tucked one ankle behind the other and placed her hands gracefully on the knees, making herself comfortable on the lavish settee of her hotel room.

"How long were you planning to keep her from me?" Ezalia asked calmly, watching her son restlessly pace the room back and forth which only showed how truly anxious he was.

Tired of watching her son move around in circles, Ezalia sighed.

"Yzak, would you please sit down."

"If you don't mind, mother. I'd rather stand." Yzak returned.

Ezalia was forced to shake her head at Yzak's peculiar request but she held a hand out, indicating the male to stop nonetheless. "Fine. I will allow this once. Just stop walking in circles... or I will end up passing out for the second time." She warned causing Yzak to instantly stop on his track; head to the nearest wall, turn his back to it and just stood there leaning with his back against the surface with his eyes downcast.

Ezalia frowned at the sight of Yzak's troubled expression.

"Yzak, I want to let you know that I am not angry. I am ashamed of what you did, yes, but I am not angry at you."

She tipped her head slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of her child's face, amidst his bangs, searching for any kind of reaction but there was none.

"Yzak, I rushed over to Earth thinking you were in some kind of trouble. You have not kept anything from me for a very long time." Ezalia decided to continue with a sigh. "If you are in some difficult situation, you know you can always tell me. Have I ever failed you?"

"No, mother, you haven't." Yzak turned to his mother. "But that's the problem..." He said. "I'm not in some kind of trouble!" Although, originally, Yzak seriously thought he was going to be.

Ezalia lowered her eyes at he son. "Yzak, Don't lie to me. You and I both know that rape is a war crime punishable by International law."

Yzak's forehead scrunch up. Rape was such a harsh word. "I'm aware of that."

"Has she filed against you?" She asked straight to the point.

Through observation, Ezalia could not deny that- Flay Allster seemed like a nice harmless girl. On the outside, she no longer seem to be harboring any ill feelings towards Yzak. Admittedly, they had shared a few laughs together, but Ezalia Joule never was the type who trusted easily.

Yzak's the light of her life; Her only son. If by chance, that girl was using something against him... then that was certainly unacceptable.

"No."

"No?" Ezalia raised a brow while her eyes studied Yzak for any trace of dishonesty.

Yzak shook his head. "No. She hasn't sued."

"Threatened to file a case against you?"

Yzak ran a hand down his face. He was not sure whether he should be relieved that his affectionate mother was taking his side in this because he, undeniably, felt inexplicably, confusingly, frustrated at the same time.

Yzak roughly pushed himself from the wall. A thousand voices and bells were all going off in his head at once. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Mother, would you stop trying to protect me!" He began. "No, Flay hasn't done that either but if she suddenly decides to sue... I'm facing the charges!" Yzak revealed causing his mother to look perplexingly proud at his decisions yet utterly devastated for being aware of the consequence ahead at the same time.

If Flay were suddenly to file a case against him then so be it! It wouldn't be his first trial. He already have several crimes listed under his name. He had been sentenced to execution once. And if it were to happen again then maybe, Yzak thought, it was about time he paid for them.

"Flay is not at fault here. I was the one who decided to keep this issue from you. I wanted to handle the situation on my own. I thought I could fix it. I'm the one responsible for this mess. I'm the bastard in the picture, not Flay."

"Yzak, watch your language." His mother warned him, though still sounding very much disheartened.

Evaluating the situation, going back over every single memory, trying to make sense of it all… Yzak opened his mouth and let out a low groan. "To be honest, Flay didn't even want to see me again. We met by accident. And she asked me not to get involve anymore but I still butted in anyway..." Yzak confessed, trying to catch his mother's eyes. "I wanted to adopt Kaitlyn. That had been my original plan because I felt responsible for her. I was going to let you know about this eventually when everything was done... but then one predicament lead to another... and I find out Kaitlyn doesn't want to be separated from Flay! ... Fuck, -"

"Yzak."

"It's so frustrating to be unable to do anything! I don't want to forcefully take Kaitlyn away! She will hate me! This is all Flay's fault! She wouldn't let me do anything! I'm free to see Kaitlyn yet I can't fund for her! I haven't asked yet, but I'm certain, even in hell, Flay wouldn't let me adopt Kaitlyn either!" Yzak began to agitatedly pace the room again. "Flay pisses me off! Why does she have to make everything so complicated? And for some God damn reason-"

"Yzak, language!"

"I think being with such a confusing person like Flay is finally messing with my head! Suddenly, I can't stop thinking about her; can't wait to see her! I find even just sitting side-by-side with her, in silence, saying nothing comfortable! And that's barely describing it!" Yzak exclaimed worried.

Because it hurts him whenever Flay's in pain even when it got nothing to do with him. And in contrast, every time she smiles at him, it's like taking a lungful of fresh air and he felt like he could do anything.

He was losing control over himself. It was a frightening thought. It was as if the time he had shared with her was spinning a web around him and he was losing sight of his primary objectives. How could he possibly tell his mother what had happened if he wasn't even sure himself?

"What is she to you? Flay." Ezalia asked out of the blue, catching Yzak by surprise.

'Wha– what do you mean?' Yzak stammered.

Ezalia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Do you like her, perhaps?"

Yzak felt his face warmth up. He lifted his chin up with purpose and directed his gaze towards the ceiling. "Mother, don't be ridiculous." Yzak frowned. "Like is such a vague word. I am physically attracted to her and, surprisingly, we get along."

"Is that all?"

Yzak crossed his arms. "I'm sure!"

"I see..." Ezalia's eyes softened. "You have been visiting them everyday, am I correct?"

"I have..." Yzak redirected his eyes back down.

"What do you plan on doing once you are retransferred back to PLANTs? You will be seeing much less of them. Will you be fine with that?"

Yzak's forehead scrunched up, looking like he really had to think about what his mother was saying. "I suppose it can't be helped..."

Ezalia sighed. Leaving the couch, she aimed to walk to the foot of the bed where the luggage were; passing Yzak on the way.

"Yzak, do you know what absence does to people?"

Yzak raised an eyebrow. "... Makes the heart grow fonder?"

Ezalia gave a nod. "That first, yes. Then, eventually, people grow apart. They will each meet new people; find new interest; explore new hobbies..." Ezalia went on as she picked up her purse from the pile. She took out her wallet and looked over the credit cards she had in there. "It's not the least surprising- Kaitlyn forgot about Dearka, even I understand that without the need to hear the whole story."

Kaitlyn wasn't stupid; both Yzak and his mother knew that. The little girl's forgetfulness had nothing to do with being either a Natural or a Coordinator. After all, Coordinators only excel in scientific, artistic, and athletic fields; and these specializations won't even be evident unless they reach maturity.

Kaitlyn forgot about Dearka just because they had only met once and after that, he was never there.

Yzak frowned at the thought of Kaitlyn forgetting about him. He would be labeled as the guy who visits once every six to twelve months! He didn't like it.

And what about Flay? Would she still smile at him with such ease like she does? or will she start feeling uncomfortable around him again? He didn't like that either.

His mother must of seen his displeased expression, because...

"Yzak, have you ever considered of marriage?" She said, eyeing at him again, after tucking the cards away once more.

"Mother, you can't be serious!" Yzak brow furrowed, unsure whether his mother was honestly trying to help him or was bring up marriage again for her own intentions. "You promised me you wouldn't rush me into these things!"

"And I am not. I was merely suggesting an option." Ezalia clarified, letting Yzak assist her with the heavy bags she wanted moved to the bed. "Certainly, there is no problem with marriage if you like her."

"I don't!" Yzak lifted up the first bag. He was not going to fall for it. He was not getting married. He was not going to marry Flay or even think of considering it!

"Oh? but you two seems like a good match."

"I doubt it!" Yzak argued.

"She is charming and attractive."

Yzak grunted, moving the first bag to the bed. "So what!"

"She seems charismatic and caring."

Yzak bend down to retrieve the second one, "A lot of people are!"

"She'll make a fine wife."

"Many show their true colors after marriage!"

"She has a good background."

"Mother, she's a Natural!" Yzak claimed finally.

This conversation was over. He had won or so Yzak had thought as he dropped the last bag on top of the bed with a bounce.

"And this is a problem, why?" Ezalia added taking Yzak completely aback.

"But... but I... thought you hated Naturals?" Yzak stuttered. "You were with Former Chairman Zala wit-"

"Yzak, don't misunderstand." Ezalia cut-in before Yzak could continue. "I do not hate Naturals. I dislike them for disliking us." She explained. "We were at war then. Earth- No. More specifically Blue Cosmos threatened to wipe out Coordinators entirely. It was either us or them. I chose my side. And did what I could to protect PLANTs which I thought was right at that time."

"I didn't mean to upset you..."

"It's all right, Yzak... I am not upset" Ezalia corrected him again with a much softer tone this time. "because I don't regret making that decision." She assured him, going through her bags that were now on bed. "I don't believe there are such things as mistakes; only bad decisions. Whether this had been intentional or by accident, everyone makes them. It is part of life. Whatever decision we decide on, no matter how righteous it may seem at a given time- such as peace. There will... and always be someone, somewhere, who will end up getting hurt one way or another. All we can do is compensate for our actions and we grow stronger from this."

After awhile, Ezalia exhaled and continued in a lower voice, "Did you know what I wished for while I watched the last battle in Jachin Due?"

"No. What did you ask for?"

Yzak looked his mother and she smiled back at him. They were looking eye to eye now.

"Deep in my heart I prayed 'If you'll let Yzak live through this. I will never ask for anything more.' So now there is nothing I ask for..."

"Mother..."

"Whatever you decide, Yzak, I will be fine with it. You don't have you worry about me. But remember, I am still your mother; and of course there's nothing I want more than for you to be happy." Ezalia held out a hand and tapped it lightly on Yzak's cheek. "I will see you at dinner."

Yzak's eyes went wide.

"You're going out?" Yzak asked, watching his mother head for the door.

"Ah, yes." Turning around, Ezalia enthusiastic placed a hand on her cheek and smiled. "I have decided to take the girls out shopping."

00000

A week of excessive shopping spree later.

At SA023 spaceport observation deck.

Ezalia began by taking Flay's hands in hers. "I trust Yzak's in good hands. Please take care of my son for me." Ezalia smiled genuinely.

"Mother, this is humiliating. I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself!" Yzak argued.

"Actually, it sounds more like your mom's giving you away than baby-sit." Dearka who was beside Ezalia grinned correcting him.

And at this, Flay cheeked instantly turned red as she went stock still. Yzak was stark red too but in mere seconds it was more of anger then embarrassment.

Gritting his teeth, Yzak charged up and hauled Dearka by the collar. "Come up with a crazy remark like that again and I will seriously push you off this deck!" Yzak threatened, hustling them both dangerously close to the edge of the floor.

"Huh? why is auntie giving Uncle Yzak away... Auntie don't like Uncle Yzak anymore?" Kaitlyn blinked not understanding.

Ezalia closed her eyes. "Nonsense. Who ever heard of giving the son away." She cleared, causing Yzak to roughly cast loose of Dearka's collar with a shrug.

Ezalia bent over and brushed a finger on the tip of Kaitlyn's nose.

"I'll come and visit you again so don't you forget me, alright?"

Kaitlyn nodded her head before receiving a light peck on the cheek.

Standing up right again, ready to go, "Dearka, carry the bags." She instructed without question.

"Yes, ma'am." Dearka slipped a bag onto his back; lifted up and struggled with two bags on each hand then tucked another one under the his right underarm. A total of six large bags.

Wanting to say goodbye to one last person, Ezalia smiled at Yzak then subsequently... Almost without thinking, Yzak reacted by leaning forward, instantly reducing the one head difference between him and his mother, letting her freely plant a kiss on his cheek.

Ezalia landed the peck. Then, very quietly, she raised head, her cheek touching lightly against his and she whispered before the male could leaned back again. "Remember. All I want is for you to be happy."

When mother and son broke apart. Ezalia glanced at Yzak one last time, and then smiled. Proud of him and the man he had become.

"Have a safe trip." Yzak muttered.

"Take care." Ezalia returned before walking away, her heels clicking softly just as she and Dearka moved far enough from earshot. "He likes her." Ezalia announced to Deaka as they both continued on their way to the designated shuttle.

Looking rather defeated... _Yeah. Sure_... Dearka, who felt like Ezalia's personal slave on the inside, decided to keep his exhausted mouth shut. Still struggling with bags on both arms, he simply did the best he could to keep up with the authoritative woman- whom he could not disrespect.

Overjoyed. Ezalia held up a hand to her lips and muffled a laugh to herself.

"He definitely likes her."

00000

Once Ezalia and Dearka vanished into the crowd and disappeared from the floor.

Yzak's eyebrows shot up into his bangs when he heard that quiet, tinkling sound escape from behind him.

Turning around, "What?... What's so funny?"

Ice blue eyes narrowed and accusing, singling Flay out with a flash of temper. Flay had a hand over her mouth. She knew she ought not to have giggled but the sight was just so _cute_!

"Nothing..." Flay said in between snicker. "It's just... Usually guys get mad or get embarrassed when their mother tries to kiss them in public but in your case- you didn't even flinch."

"Well. I got nothing to be ashamed about! My mother is a beautiful and competent woman. I'm proud to be her son." Yzak planted both hands on his hip, unaware of just how arrogant he sounded.

Once Ezalia Joule and Dearka Elsman reappeared on the lower floors, Kaitlyn ran to the glass barriers and stuck both her hands on the smooth surface.

"Bye-bye!" She yelled, spotting the two through glass window. "Bye-bye!" She yelled again, whether or not the two from below can actually hear her goodbyes.

Moving to the windows also, "you know..." Flay leaned her arms on of the long thin metal railing that extends around the floor. "I like your friend Dearka." She revealed to Yzak honestly, scanning the site down below looking for a trace of the said blond in the crowd.

"Dearka?" Yzak glanced at her in surprised; inexplicably, he felt a rush of anger and loathe towards the blond Coordinator. He wanted to punch him or smash him against the wall and then beat him over from head to toe until he bleeds. Just because.

Flay nodded and smiled. "He seems like a fun person."

Listening, Yzak leaned his weight on the rails as well and gripped on it real tight; half wishing the cold metal was his best friend. It wasn't long before he spotted his mother and Dearka boarding the shuttle as well.

"I like your mother too. I find her real charming." Flay added, catching a glimpse of Ezalia Joule this time.

Yzak's grip loosened after realizing something... _It was that sort of like... _and he was mortified at what he had caught himself doing.

Flay muffled a laugh then tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear. "By meeting them, I feel like I've gotten to know you a lot better... and after all that we have been through both good and bad... I can honestly say that I like you."

She stole a glance at Yzak, her eyes meeting his surprised one before looking away again to face the glass. She sighed smiling, her finger skimming along the cold metal bars.

"I like how your eyes look wicked but deep down your a good person."

A band of color rouse high on Yzak's cheek and he felt his heart beat a little faster. Unaware of how he was leaning forward, anticipating her every word all the while trying to hold back a natural smile.

"Outwardly, you don't take notice of special occasions like father's day, I kind of expected that, but I would like to think you do remember some of it sometimes ... On the outside, usually you aren't considerate, but, on the inside, you are kind. You are not the one to say something like- 'I like you' but in your heart. You take care of those you hold dear."


	12. Now and Then

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny or any of its characters.

**A/N: **My wallet got stolen the other day while traveling through train so... Darn it!

Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews but I'll answer them some other time because I've decided to limit the author's note.

... Uhhh...

To all my readers- just so we are clear, I'm not associating Sexual Assault with Love, okay? And I'm not encouraging Sexual Assault either. Sexual Assault is BAD. BAD. BAD. (Maybe I should put up a notice or something.)

No Stockholm and Lima Syndrome or Bodice Ripper, please.

As always, I apologize for bad grammar.

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 12: Now and Then**

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"GE-E-O-OR-GE ALL-STE-R..." Kaitlyn read aloud then gasped. "Mama. Mama! I found grandpa!" She announced from afar pointing toward a large marbled tombstone with the name engraved on it in a fancy calligraphy. _Always the best for George Allster. _"I found grandma too!"

Going along with her daughter's sprightly mood, Flay eyes softened, "Good Job, Honey."

This was Kaitlyn's first time visiting her grandparent's grave; or at least the first Kaitlyn could remember.

The recent snap of wintry weather had already left a lot of trees bare; scattering autumn leaves of red, yellow, orange, brown and all the hues in-between on green cut grass. Somehow, the penultimate season added a little peace and color to the gloomy place.

Flay took a deep breath and climbed the little hill with a pair of bouquet in her arms. She and Kaitlyn had just come from leaving her friends and acquaintances some flowers, and this was their last stop.

Flay gently placed the flowers down, one for each her mom and dad, then swallowed the small sob that rose, forcing herself to keep the strong front before her parents...Or what was left of them in their final resting place.

"Mama, do you think grandpa and grandma would have liked me?"

Flay gathered Kaitlyn close, hugged the little girl to her and murmured,

"Yes. They never knew that you were coming into this world but they would have loved you."

00000

A week and a half later, Flay set her dress form onto one side and cleared her desk once she was done for the night. She put on her coat and picked up her glossy shoulder bag on her way out along with the carnations she had set aside that morning.

At the door, Flay turned around to look back at everyone who was still stuck in overtime. "I'll be heading out now." Flay made known causing her co-workers who heard her to respond,

"Good night, Flay."

"Take care."

"Thanks for the hard work." Another waved.

"Wait. You're leaving?" Allen, who had been so engrossed in sewing a gown, instantly stopped on what he was doing and looked up as soon as he had realized this.

Flay nodded her head once, "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She said, turning around when her male colleague suddenly jumped away from the sewing machine and stopped her before she could actually leave.

"Flay, wait! You're heading to the gravesite, right? I'm about done here as well," he told her, but the way he moved said otherwise. "Just- just give me a few minutes to finish things up and I'll go with you." He said, going through the heap mess that was his work desk, looking for something he needed as fast a he could.

The search took longer than either of them had imagined. But the blond eventually managed to pull out a couple of purple laces from the pile, and quickly jogged back to the sewing machine, chasing time.

Back at the door, Flay frowned, a bit guilty, for having to watch the male rush work only for her account.

_Allen is a good friend, _Flay thought. _But he really shouldn't have bothered…. He really shouldn't be fretting over her._

Because inside, although she could not say it aloud, she honestly did not want him along….. Not just him…. but anyone else for that matter. She did not need an escort despite knowing the reason why he offered in the first place. It was nothing personal.

_She was going to visit her parents after all, not his. And she has been doing it by herself for three years straight._

Looking back at the male, now she wanted to say something that would let Allen know how wonderful it was, being fussed over, cared about, but she didn't know how to say it. This kind of intimacy was such a frightening step forward to her that she couldn't imagine how to begin.

When she caught the sight of the sewing machine Allen had been using jammed, frustrating him. Flay shook her head as to clear it. _She needed space, the personal boundary._

Eager to leave, "Allen, I should go…" Flay said, sneaking a glimpse at her wristwatch. Her eyes widen. _It's almost pass Kaitlyn's bedtime._

"Wait! Give me five minutes! I'm almost done." Allen insisted, though it was clear he was far from being finished.

"Allen, it's all right. I can go by myself."

Allen rushed over to the pile for the second time.

Flay shook her head again. "I'll be fine on my own. You need to have that piece ready for the fitting tomorrow morning." She said, trying to convince as well as lose him.

Allen frowned at this. The client had requested specifically for the gown to be ready by morning the next day.

Flay knew Allen was a genius in his field, but even geniuses need an allotted time to finish a masterpiece.

"I will be fine. Honestly…" Flay tried to assure him. "I'm just going to leave them some flowers. It wouldn't even take a minute." She said, turning her back to him. She cracked the door open.

"But…." Allen stopped on whatever he was doing; a sad expression on his face.

"I will call you when I get there and back, okay?" Flay told him.

Still reluctant to let Flay go alone, "Promise me!"

"Yes." Flay smiled one of her smiles. She was actually quite relieved Mother, who she thought to be- more keen, was busy inside his office; unable to witness their recent exchange of words.

"Promise me you'll call."

"I promise."

Flay stepped out the door.

"Be careful!"

"I will…."

00000

_Ms. Flay is working late tonight. _

Frances' words rang in Yzak's ear as he stepped out of Kaitlyn's bedroom.

Out in the hall, he dialed Flay's number and turned around to look back at Kaitlyn and WuFei still inside, watching television side by side on the floor.

It was getting late. _So where is she?_

Yzak moved away from the doorframe agitated at the same time worried as he listened to the tone the phone made, trying to connect to Flay's mobile for the third time that very night.

_Damn it! Doesn't Flay ever pick up her phone?_ _What's the point of her having one if she never answers!_

Yzak gritted his teeth. It was times like this that he regretted not asking for Fuyu's local number including Flay's friends'.

Once, the forth ring disconnected. Yzak had had it waiting. He tucked away his phone, grabbed his coat hanged on the coat rack, and informed Kaitlyn and Frances that he was heading out to Flay's workplace.

00000

Later, at the boutique,

"She's not picking up." Mother said while holding up the receiver. "I was afraid this would happen." He frowned, redialing Flay's mobile number inside his private office with Allen right beside him.

Allen bit on the tip of his thumb, looking like he was starting to regret why he had actually let Flay go. "Damn. She said she would call!"

Mother was forced to press the numbers again.

Frowning, "She never calls when it's unrelated to work. She almost never picks up her mobile phone either." Mother told Allen. "Haven't you noticed? At her house, Frances is the one who answers the door and picks up the phone, every time, before passing it on."

"But isn't that part of her job?"

"Yes. But would it hurt if- Flay did those herself once in awhile?" Mother explained, pressing a new set of number.

The phone rang in his ears.

"Hello, Allster's residence." A voice from the other line picked up.

"Hi, good evening. This is Mother, a friend of Flay's from work. Is Flay home?"

"Oh. I'm sorry but the ms. just left…. "

"She left? You mean she was there?"

"Yes. That is right. Ms. Flay came back to tuck the little ms. in bed before heading out again."

"Oh, did she say where she was going?" Mother asked to confirm when he was compelled to cover the receiver with one hand; brow narrowing at the sudden racket his employees were making on the other side of the room. "Go fix it." He muttered to the only person with him before pressing the receiver closer to his ear once more. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Mother said, only to pull away again, a few seconds later, with a gasp.

Yzak sprinted toward the office with a questioning shout and threw the door open; his gaze still faced towards the direction of the girls outside who tried to explain. "What do you mean Flay left?" The Coordinator repeated annoyed before whipping his head around to glare at both Mother and Allen inside the not so large office. "Where have she gone?"

Yzak's angered look gave way to concern.

"Flay went to see her parents by herself." Mother said; his tone matching the same amount of worry on his face after repeating the exact same words that managed to escape the telephone. However, whatever expression he had on didn't seem to matter at that point.

Yzak's eyes darkened at the news.

"You morons actually let her go to the gravesite at this hour ALONE?"

It was almost a quarter to ten.

"What kind of friends are you people!" The male scolded everyone at the top of his lungs making those around him feel and look bad. "Shit! Am I the only one in this room who realized there are so many wrong here?"

Yzak spun around quickly, exiting through were he previously came.

"Wh-where are you going?" Mother stammered.

"I'm going to look for Flay, obviously!" Yzak retorted walking out.

Following Yzak, Allen ran out of the shop.

"Yzak, wait we're going with you!" He said too late because the Coordinator was already gone.

00000

Gritting his teeth, Yzak shifted into high gear and added pressure to the gas; the needle on the meter slowly rising to a hundred per hour as his sedan flew down the almost deserted road.

_He was surrounded by stupidity!_

Yzak gripped on the steering wheel.

_Really, had he been the only one who realized how dumb and impractical it was to let a female go out alone in the dark? _Eyes on the road_, _Yzak continued to grit his teeth as he felt his forehead scrunch up.

_Flay's friends are a bunch of idiots for letting her go! Flay,_ he thought right now, _was no different from her friends for going!_ He expected her to have more common sense than this!

He wasn't familiar enough with the crime rates around this neighborhood, to go all carefree at the situation. All that entered his mind was- _if something were to happen to Flay….! What would he then?_

Entering through the gates of the cemetery, Yzak was force to slow down accordingly to the twists and turn of the narrow street.

Unlike downtown, the gravesite was scarcely lit by only a few lamps that were arranged several meters apart around the sidewalk.

Yzak shifted his head left and right as he drove along, looking for Flay. And it turned out to be a bit of a relief to him that the site hadn't been completely deserted of people despite the hour.

There had been that old couple he had passed just recently at the gate.

There was that small family who had set up a tent just around the corner.

There was that guy in black with a dog.

That other couple he drove passed just about now.

Then there was that woman behind them, climbing that hill from the farther back.

Another would be that guy on the opp-

_Wait. He recognized that walk. _

Yzak backed up a little, pulled down the tinted window and opted for a better look. He rested one elbow on the side of the door then squint his eyes at the woman afar in pearl white- _a color that completely stood out in the dark!-_ solely making her way up the grassy hill.

He watched how her hips swayed; how her red hair that had been pulled back in a smooth sweep brush away from the skin of her neck as she climbed. Even though the girl's back was turned, he had recognized the set of Flay's shoulders, the slender lines of her form, the grace which she moved.

Convince that he found his missing person; Yzak pulled over to the side and quickly stepped out of his vehicle. He slammed the door.

Turning around, from below, he caught the girl's form setting down a bouquet of flower when something from above gleamed at him.

_The tree behind her... _

Yzak couldn't help but blink at this. _Had he imagined it?- _that small reflecting light? _Trees don't gleam. So what was that he saw? _Yzak looked up again after assaying his thoughts.

Focusing on the dark silhouette of the bald tree, Yzak caught that tiny gleam again. But this time, it moved!

Although all was still and quiet around Flay, some instinct warned him she was no longer alone up there.

Yzak started to run. His heartbeat hammered wildly against his ribcage as fear rose in.

"Flay, get away from there!" He shouted just as the shape of the man in hiding emerged into view. He had something sharp in his hand- probably the knife that had been casting back the moonlight.

When Flay hadn't react from his warning from having not heard him; Yzak was forced to reach into his belt and realized dreadfully he brought no gun. He cursed at both his and her _dumb_ luck as the shadow cloaked man came ever closer behind Flay without her noticing.

_Shit! He wasn't going to make it!_ Yzak swore inside. _He seriously wasn't going to fucking make it! _Yzak cringed, thought fast, and took a deep breath as he got closer. Forget brilliant vocabulary, "Hey asshole, if you dare even lay a fucking finger on her, I will fucking send you to your fucking grave!"

With luck, the message got across, leading heads to turn.

Flay's would be attacker completely froze in the dark as if paralyzed from being caught. Strange that the culprit had not just grab-and-go or just made a run for it like most would have…. Despite that assumption, Yzak who was still unable to make out the guy's face, was simply grateful that that said person had stopped advancing at Flay all together.

Flay on the other hand, lifted her lashes and recoiled as she saw the dark shape right behind her. She didn't scream, but she did jolt. And Yzak made an instinctive move by gripping her shoulder, steadying her just in time she stumbled backward.

Eyes narrowing into furious sleets, "stay close to me." Yzak instructed while scarcely breathing. He gestured Flay behind him, ready to fend for her, and for once Flay didn't argue with him.

Without a minute to lose, Yzak shifted his attention back towards the dark. He scanned the person in front of them from head to toe, wanting to know what he was up against.

The pointy object fell on grass.

Yzak stood his ground, but was forced to raise a brow at what he saw.

The once faceless man was holding up both quivering hands, palms out, as if caught with stolen goods just as the moonlight hit his face.

"No. No. This is not what you think!" The person, who turned out to be a thin-looking brunet with a mustache explained, shaking. "I was just going to warn the lady- that it's not safe to visit at this hour. I wasn't going to do anything. I swear! I'm nothing but a plot keeper!"

His occupation wasn't a lie. The tools on his belt said so. But, apparently, Yzak didn't really give a damn even if this person turned out to be a saint.

Flay looked up at Yzak holding her shoulder.

Yzak glared at the self-claimed plot keeper, noting how he just mindlessly stood there watching them under the cold, along with rightfully gloom and cloudy night.

"What are you still standing there for then? She got the message! You can go 'cause I'm with her!" Yzak snapped causing the jumpy guy to jolt once more.

"Oh, okay. Sorry. I'm going. I'm going." The man turned his back to them. He rushed to pick up the pruning shears he had dropped out of panic and made a run towards the other direction. The guy end up stumbling a little on the way, but he managed to recover pretty fast and eventually disappeared down the hill.

It was only then did Yzak take his watchful eyes off him.

Grabbing hold of Flay's arm, "What the hell were you thinking coming here at night unescorted?" Yzak said irritably prompt. "You could have been mugged; you could have been hurt; or worst you could have been-!" Yzak closed his mouth abruptly. He didn't want to think about that! "Damn crazy woman, do you want to give me a heart attack?" He shouted at the top of his lungs causing Flay to open her eyes wide, raise her eyebrows, and dip her head.

"Did it even occur to you what would happen to Kaitlyn if something were to happen to you? Save us the anxiety and do us all a favor by answering your phone when it rings!" He finished, roughly releasing her arm, and her body lost its defensively rigid posture.

"I... I'm sorry... I just wanted to visit my parent's grave and I didn't have the time to do it this morning." Flay explained, staring up at Yzak's dark face.

"You should have called me then! I would have come with you!"

Flay eyes slid to the side, unable to look directly at his.

"... You were busy and so engross in work... I- I didn't want to bother you."

Yzak's indignation boiled over at her seeming selfless judgement.

"For the love of God!" Yzak wanted to hit something real bad. He expected her to be smarter than this! "I don't know whether you are genuinely being thoughtful or just being stupid! I said I'll come if you'd asked!"

Yzak planted a hand firmly on his hip and whipped his head to the side, pissed. He glanced at their surroundings, noting how dark and deserted it was.

"Damn. You shouldn't have come out here alone like this." He muttered.

Flay frowned, "I said, I'm sorry."

"Well. I don't need your apology when you don't mean it!" He declared, seeing right through her which had taken Flay complete aback.

Flay eyes were wide for a moment, until they narrowed into sleets as she turned away from Yzak to look at her parent's headstones. "Fine. Then don't."

"See that I won't!"

Time passed slowly since then, Yzak brought up the rear as Flay simply continued to stand in front of her parents gravestones with no intention to leave as of yet. He may be angry at Flay and at her impassive attitude towards her self worth, but leaving her behind was certainly out of the question.

Eventually, Flay bent down with her knees tucked and ran a hand on the marble of her mother's grave feeling the cold of it, then let out a quiet breath.

After a long pause, "It's my parent's anniversary today…." Flay began with a sigh. She never did like the uncomfortable silence and she never handled it well. "That is why I wanted to come here today."

Yzak crossed his arms, still tad angry. "Well. I don't give a shit even if a friend of yours just died. His gone and you're not. You still shouldn't have come here by yourself!"

"You know, you don't have to keep telling me that!" Flay snapped back. "Because some times I wonder why I even bother coming here myself….." Flay finished a little more softly this time. "My dad's grave is nothing but an empty casket... while my mother passed away when I was five so I don't remember her very well…."

Yzak uncrossed his arms at this, not knowing what to say. Memorials are objects created in the memory of something or someone. He went to memorials to recollect his thoughts and sometimes to pay respect but if she can't even remember…. then…. _Damn it_. Yzak cringed. _At a time like this, was he supposed to comfort her?_

"I can't even recall my mother's voice... I can't even recall her face in my memory without having to look at her pictures…. All I have about her are the stories my dad used to tell me but even those don't seem to be enough anymore…. My parents had been together for a short time before death had taken her from us…."

"So today is the day your mother's-…"

"No, actually, it's my parent's wedding anniversary…." Flay corrected him before he could finish. "... Would you like to hear how they met?" She asked with her back still to him.

"If it would make you feel better." Yzak replied simply then watched how Flay' hair brushed up and down her neck as she made a nod in return.

"Their story had never been a romantic one; there had been too many who were against their relationship. My dad was a Political Science major back then. He met mom in a public library, who had been working part time as the librarian's assistant.

There had been no love at first sight. No hidden desires. No crazy set up. He went for the references. She went for work." Flay's eyes softened at her mother's grave. "Daddy once told me, mom wasn't really his type. She was obsessed with organizing and cleanliness and he thought her to be a little overbearing.

Their conversations started out casually short. He would ask her where a book was. She would scold him for overdue returns. Eventually, one line became two then two became four; and it just went on and on until one day he began to enjoy going to the library more and more and fell in love with her...

Have you ever felt that- you'd just fallen in love with someone you never noticed before?"

"... I guess, it happens."

Flay's features softened. "I honestly find incident like those to be really sweet...

Grandfather however thought differently... He wasn't supportive of their new found love and so were the other relatives. They concluded mom was in no way beneficial to them. She wasn't wealthy; she wasn't as highly educated as dad was; or maybe it could have been the simple fact she came from a broken family…. Whichever the reason was…. I suppose, dad falling for mom wasn't part grandfather's well-constructed plan for him.

So when their relationship turned serious... Grandfather went out of his ways to bribed mom to move out of town and never to see his son again; and then he threatened dad- he would disown him if they were to wed. Thereafter, mom became reluctant about their future together but daddy won her heart over by telling grandfather: he'll marry her anyway..." Flay paused then and shifted her gaze to her Father's grave with an uncertain smile.

"So my parents moved here, got married and started a family. Daddy was disowned of course, then mother was diagnosed with cancer soon after that... and then..." Flay discontinued.

"I'm sorry about your parents."

Flay sighed, "its fine…. Sometimes I wonder if it was better that mom and I hadn't spent much time together in a way that it wouldn't hurt so much to see her name engraved on an expensive piece of rock…." Glancing over her shoulder, "I don't recall you ever mentioning your father... What kind of person is he?" Flay asked, changing the subject.

Yzak stared at Flay as the girl turned to look at him. Yzak neither smiled nor frowned. He always avoided talk of personal matters, but with Flay everything just comes out. Like Dearka, she, her personality, something about her just pulls stuff from his mouth.

"I don't know. I never met him. I don't even know whether he is still alive. Mother never mentions him." Yzak said in an as a matter of fact tone.

"Oh, I see... They had that kind of relationship..."

"Apparently..."

The wind shifted, the clouds cleared around the round moon before completely covering it up again; but for those few moments, it turned everything white ... the sky, the trees, ground-– everything glowed white.

Flay let out a dry cough.

Yzak raised a concerned brow as he fixed her with an intent stare. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked, not moving from his spot.

Flay nodded, coughing one last time. "It's probably just the weather." She said hugging herself for warmth. "It is getting a little chilly." She admitted before catching a white blossom land on George Allster's headstone.

Flay's eyes widen at the sight of this before glancing up at the sky, gently bringing herself to her full height.

"It's snowing..." Flay announced causing Yzak to look up through the curtain of hair fallen on his face.

Given a few more second, snow flurried. It wasn't enough to get them soaked, but just the right amount to leave a veil of cold wetness.

Thinking that it was about time the two of them should go, Flay gathered close to Yzak. And they, in due course, began to walk together towards the car.

"Flay!"

"Flay, you're all right!"

Below the hill, Allen and Mother stepped out from a cab, exclaimed in relief.


	13. Chances Are

**A/N: **Thank you everyone who reviewed the previous chapter.

Yes, Yes. I know you guys are probably sick of me and my freakishly slow updates but I swear I am going finishing this story even if it takes me forever!

I've been following the Bleach manga recently… and I'm inspired to write something for that category in the future even if that takes me forever as well! Roar!

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 13: Chances Are  
**

* * *

"Kaitlyn, breakfast is ready."

"Mama, can I eat later?"

"Your breakfast will get cold..."

"Pleeeaassee… I'm not hungry yet!"

Flay sighed at her daughter's plea and shook her head. She stood up, shaking out of her apron before looking up at the clock in the corner of her rather sizeable kitchen.

_Nine o'clock. _

She stepped out of the room and into the adjoining living room to where Kaitlyn was loitering.

At the door, Flay stopped and looked up at Kaitlyn with the child's back to her. Kaitlyn was lying on her stomach facing the window; her expression was reflected in the glass as she stared outside.

Flay leaned toward the window, catching the great amount of white snow that covered the neighborhood. Considering the climate, it was nearly deserted out. Nothing out of the ordinary. _So..._

"Kaitlyn, what are you looking at?" Flay asked, her voice soft, wondering what was so interesting out there that the made the little girl want to postpone the most important meal of the day.

"When is Uncle Yzak gonna come?" Kaitlyn asked, stunning Flay a little. And within that disconcerting moment, Flay realized that this was a familiar expression.

Yzak had been away for only two days and Kaitlyn was already missing him. Kaitlyn was growing attached to the Coordinator. And she wasn't sure whether this was a good sign... _Probably not_... but Flay forced the thought away from her head for now, and leaned a hand on the window frame.

_Yzak will eventually have to return to PLANTs. This phrase of hers will pass._

"Uncle Yzak won't be visiting for a few days." She told Kaitlyn in a matter-of-fact tone.

This made Kaitlyn looked over her shoulder; her eyes wide with disappointment. "Ehhh… why not?"

Flay bowed her head, her eyes meeting Kaitlyn's. "Uncle Yzak went away to spend the Holiday with his friends." Flay said smiling in contrast to her daughter's obvious frown.

"When will he come back?" Kaitlyn asked almost in a whine.

"In a few days or so. Come let's have breakfast." Flay finished, gathering Kaitlyn towards the direction of the dining room when she stopped to cough out the dry tingling feeling that suddenly formed in her throat.

Kaitlyn quickly ran to her front, worried. "Is mama sick?"

Left hand gripped over her chest, the other over her mouth; Flay shook her head trying to assure her child. "Mama's fine." Flay coughed in between breath. "Mama has a winter cough that is all."

Kaitlyn's brows curved up. "Winter cough?"

00000

As the evening approached, the temperature dropped even lower. Unlike in Atlantic Federation, it didn't snow in ORB Union but the air, nonetheless, felt damp enough to bring about chills.

At the coast of one of ORB's many archipelago, the guest concerned began to congregate in the entrance hall. Small groups drifted into the graveled drive, where a line of military personnel waited to convey them to the private villa.

Among those who were invited were Cagalli Yula's friends and acquaintances from the second war; the days of the Three Ships Alliance; ORB's Morgenroete staff; and couple more of the Chief Representative's old friends from the desert.

During the past few hours, Yzak had found it easy enough to socialize with them, but he could not summon any real interest for them to stick around and chat long.

Two and a half hours later, Murrue Ramius and Mu La Flaga circled the ballroom, helping PLANT's former Commander, Andrew Waltfeld, hand out trays of unusual espresso samples in promotion to the said former Commander's new coffee shop that would be launching in the coming January.

For the duration, Dearka for the pass hour went around asking if anyone had seen Miriallia.

At another corner, after having been forced to come by his girlfriend, Shinn stood near the long buffet table looking out of place until Andrew Waltfeld began to converse with him.

While Lunamaria, Shinn's girlfriend, along with most of the female variety like Meyrin, Shiho, Erica Simmons and some more others—including some males- gathered themselves around Kira and Lacus, cooing over the little bundle of joy on Lacus' arm.

Lacus of course could not be any happier that Baby Lara was receiving all those attention and lovely complements.

Now by himself, with cocktail in hand, Yzak folded his arm carefully, and raised the glass to his lips watching that particular scene: Kira, Lacus and Baby Lara, the one happy family.

Suddenly, Yzak felt a swift of envy.

_Damn. _Somehow, he just couldn't help but feel envious of them... Not because of all the attention they were getting, but rather at how the two, Kira and Lacus, always manage to make every single little thing look so effortless yet so right.

In the midst of the crowd, Lacus threw her husband a loving smile. And Kira being the good-natured person he was, smiled earnestly back. The two shared a honest and open mutual understanding. That was fact.

Yzak took another sip of his glass.

_Marriage with children… _Yzak thought. If one looked at it with Lacus and Kira as basis, it seemed rather nice…. though it could be that that warm soothing atmosphere was reserved only for them.

"You know… sometimes... I can't help but feel envious of those two and how they always manage to make everything look so simple."

Yzak turned to find Athrun a few feet away. He glanced at him for a few seconds before resuming to observe the happy couple all the while keeping Athrun on his line of sight at the corner of his eyes.

Yzak shrugged, "Could have been you with her... but you blew it." He told the other bluntly causing Athrun to make a defensive face for what seemed like three seconds before surprisingly letting the anger slide.

Athrun frowned then sighed. "You keep trying to pick a fight but I'm just happy you decided to show up."

"Well. I was invited."

"Yeah… I'm glad you were." Athrun smiled leading Yzak to smirk back.

They stood together at one end of the ballroom, which contained what seemed to be acres of parquet flooring. The air was dense with the fragrance of irises and lilies, cut from the estate greenhouse and expertly arranged in crystal vases while the niches set into the walls had been fitted with tiny velvet-upholstered benches, where the wallflowers sat in tightly compacted groups.

Music floated down from an upper-floor stage, the small orchestra half concealed by bowers of lush greenery. Although the party did not come near to the extravagance of some of the social affairs Yzak and his mother used to attend, it more or less put those opulent gatherings to shame.

There was a difference between quality and mere showiness, Yzak thought. That notion was reinforced by the appearance of Cagalli Yula Athha. Because surprisingly, that crude opinionated blunt tomboyish woman looked brilliant.

She had strands of white pearls in her neatly braided blonde hair; her slim but fit figure wrapped in a green cocktail dress that molded tightly around her bodice while a double circlets of gold accessorised her wrists and neck.

Cagalli Yula extended her hands in welcome and went to a group of guests near the foot of the stairs.

And as Yzak watched her, he noticed something about her that had changed drastically since their last meeting… Chief Representative Athha moved differently than he remembered. Instead of exhibiting the impetuous grace she had possessed as a girl, Cagalli Yula now carried herself with refined deliberateness.

_It may seem that the Chief Representative of ORB has matured... _or so Yzak had thought before the woman had deliberately refrained from greeting him, and turned her attention to the next group of guest just soon after he had caught her eyes and Athrun's meet for what seemed like a fraction of a second.

Yzak was forced to raise an inquisitive brow at what he had just witnessed.

"Cagalli knows how I feel..." Athrun muttered, calling Yzak's attention back to him. "But she constantly brushes it away claiming she needed to set her priorities straight. I don't mind... ORB is her first priority of course, as she persistently believes ORB needs her more than I do."

"I don't know about you. But the last time I've heard, other than the trouble of reconstruction, this country is pretty much economically stable. So what do you think?" Yzak gave Athrun a brief look. And as he glanced at the male, he was met by the conflicting look on his friend's face. Athrun was staring at the ground. _So Athrun had been aware of this._

"I... honestly, don't know anymore..." He replied, before returning his gaze to the blonde who went over to Kira and Lacus to personally congratulate the couple.

Awhile later, Cagalli got to hold the child.

"You know…. Sometimes I can't help but wonder... if I hadn't gone back to PLANTs and stayed with her all throughout the second war, would our relationship have turned out differently?"

Yzak felt his forehead twitch. "Think about what your saying before you start sprouting all these nonsense!" He snapped.

And at that, Athurn fell silent and his frown deepened.

"Yzak…"

Rolling his eyes, "look, I am not going to pretend like I knew what you've gone through after you re-enlisted in ZAFT! And I'm not going to pretend like I care that it end-up hurting your relationship with that woman either. All I know is that if you hadn't gone back to ZAFT… That imprudent Shinn would have an even bigger head that he currently has! If you haven't gone back to ZAFT you would have never questioned Former Chairman Durandal motives and would have continued to trust him blindly!

If it hadn't been for you, if you had stayed back in ORB with Cagalli instead of accompanying Lacus at Copernicus, Lacus wouldn't even be here today. She wouldn't be here, looking this happy with a husband at her side and a child on her arms. I doubt Yamato could have protected her by himself so stop sulking over what you did and could have done in the past just because of your measly love life!"

Athrun smiled a little. "...I guess you're right." He said quietly causing Yzak to retorted rather haughtily.

"Of course, I'm right!"

A second or two passed.

Instantly, Yzak threw another glare at Athrun when an unclear afterthought came to him. "Which part was I right? About Yamato unable to protect Lacus or about you being a complete dumbass?"

Fifteen minutes later.

Twice the waiter had brought cocktails to their area and twice Athrun had exchanged his glass for a new.

Yzak rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, with a sparkling colorful glass of alcohol of his own in hand. "Wonder what made those two decide to get married."

"You didn't know?"

Yzak simply shrugged, guilty. How Kira and Lacus decided- they wanted to get married had not been any of his concern before. Everyone expected the day would come sooner or later. It just turned out sooner. "I haven't bothered to ask."

"It was Lacus who brought it up..." Athrun paused briefly.

"Oh?" Yzak's eyes widen in surprise.

"Yeah... Kira had been so surprised at first but then he thought about it. And thought about it. Really thought about it. And he told me, Lacus is the only person he could see himself with now and for a long time."

"So they got married… Just like that?"

Athrun nodded once. "And so they got married. Just like that."

Yzak shook his head, disapprovingly. "That's just stupid. How is he certain he wouldn't meet someone else in the future? How is he certain he was making the right decision? There is no doubt in my mind that Lacus would make a wonderful mother but how can he just decide- he was ready to take the next step with her?"

"I guess he just knows... Everyone probably has a different reason... but I suppose, basically, you just know you've found the _one_ once you can imagine yourself starting a family with this special person... You will know because you cannot stop thinking about her and you will want to be with her every second. You get happier just seeing her or just by hearing her voice... I suppose you just know once you wake up every morning and realize this is where I want to be… right beside her... able to see her smile: it's an honest, unconditional, whole-hearted, natural happiness."

Yzak was forced to make a face.

_What the Fuck._ _Where on earth was all this suddenly coming from? _Yzak could not believe what Athrun was telling him.

Yzak turned his gaze toward Athrun, startled only to find his fixed stare no longer focused on Kira Yamato, but was now on Cagalli Yula Athha plus the baby still resting on her arms! The genuine but oppressed look of his face told him everything he needed to know and more! He hadn't expected this...

_Athrun was-..._

"Athrun, you—…" but before he could get another word out Chief Representative Athha broke in and carried the night forward by gathering everybody to the next room for the initial countdown.

Officially, there was only approximately one and a half hour standing in between ORB and CE 76.

Athrun turned slowly.

"We should be heading there as well."

Yzak shook his head. "You go on ahead. I'll just finish up here." He said, pertaining to the cocktail on his hand as an excuse.

Athrun nodded understandingly and went on ahead.

Yzak set the glass of ice on the table after tossing back the rest of his liquor in a deliberate swallow. He waited until everyone disappeared from the ballroom. And instead of going inside, he turned left and headed for the patio.

For a country that was blessed with fine weather all year round, the open air was most certainly cold that night. And Yzak reacted by stowing away his hands on each side of his pockets for warmth.

_An honest, unconditional, whole-hearted, natural happiness huh… _

Yzak let his eyes wandered off, trying to think.

_No wonder Athrun was an idiot. _He scowled. _It's because he had allowed himself to be swept away by that opinionated blunt woman by following her around that lead him into his unfavorable predicament_.

_This just proves how much of a fool Athrun had become_ b_ecause take a look at him for example. He had been with a certain woman for almost a year now... An actual girl too and not some butch in his opinion, Flay to be exact, but you don't see him falling head over heels for her or her charms. Not like Flay had any charms or anything... Okay, maybe she does have some. And he wasn't trying to point out he hadn't fallen of her because she wasn't pretty either. In fact, he found Flay very pretty. And what's more,- wait. Did he, actually, just compare him and Flay to Athrun and Cagalli? Shit. Hanging out with idiots like Athrun and Dearka was finally having some weird effect on him. _

"I really need some air." Yzak mumbled to himself then looked up at the few stars that watched over the Pacific. His mother had her own party to attend to while as for Flay and Kaitlyn... He wondered what they could be doing at the moment. Oh, and WuFei too.

Yzak smiled to himself, thinking about them. Thinking about Flay... Thinking about Kaitlyn...

_Maybe he should just call... _Yzak thought, pulling out his mobile phone. With a few clicks, he browsed trough the directory easily for their house number then stopped when he remembered- Flay had given Frances the holidays off.

Yzak exhaled loudly, _Phone calls._ This was one of those few simple things he and Flay didn't get along with. Furious at the thought that calling her would be useless; nonetheless, Yzak calmly set his phone down above the dry stone wall that divided the backyard from the ocean.

About two minutes later, he heard the clock inside chimed. And Yzak noted this as the start of the initial countdown.

_Countdown. Right,_ he reflected, leaning his elbows and weight on the previously said wall. A hundred and eighteen days, was it, before he finally heads back to PLANTs. And, surprisingly, he wasn't looking forward to it as much as he would have upon first arriving on Earth. And for a patriot like him, this was terribly unusual.

He heard another chime.

_Only a hundred and eighteen days, huh. And he wouldn't be able to drop by at Allster's on a regular basis anymore. _Time moves surpassingly fast; and unfortunately, Time wasn't on his side.

Another chime.

Yzak ran a hand through his hair and sighed at this. _It would be pointless to go back in there now,_ he thought, shifting his gaze to the neighboring window to where everyone else was at.

Near the glass window, from the far back, Lunamaria watched the huge digital clock change its numbers with Meyrin right at her side, holding her hand.

Shinn stood next to Athrun.

Ledonir Kisaka and Erica Simmons behind Cagalli.

Kira with Lacus; her head on his shoulder and her hand in his.

_"Yzak, have you ever considered of marriage?"_

Yzak shook his head in the course his mother's words had re-entered it. Eventually, he turned his ungracious face back to the ocean.

_If marriage was the answer in the first place... If asking a girl to marry was so simple then a lot of people would have done that ages ago._

Based from what Athrun had revealed earlier- _marriage wasn't what he was looking for..._

First and foremost, he couldn't see himself married to Flay. There was no doubt in his mind that he could live through each passing day without seeing her or hearing her voice. He could not see her waking up beside him on his bed. Could not see her greeting him with a loving smile or asking what he wanted for breakfast. He could not see himself brushing a hand on her lovely cheek. Furthermore, see her bear his children.

Yzak's heartbeat rapidly increased.

Okay, maybe he could see all those. An everyday life with Flay, with a family, was not so hard to imagine when Kaitlyn was already inside the picture.

So technically, this whole thought of family doesn't count.

If he were to have some sort of sign. The second he would like- was to be able to miraculously picture his own wedding with his bride to be.

The aisle. Black tux. White gown.

Guys usually bypass these things.

_That's right. _Yzak crossed his arms smug. _See if that happens._

Yzak closed his eyes. In his mind he saw the glow in Flay's eyes as she leaned in for the kiss.

"Fuck!"

Instantly, Yzak felt his face warm up.

_'I get it already!_' He growled to himself. _'I get it!' _He repeated scolding his heart and head for pushing it. He understood why he kept the struggle without ever admitting it. If he doesn't admit it, even his pride as a Coordinator can go to hell. So he was now going to be a man and admit it! He was attracted to Flay! Not because she was Kaitlyn's mother and not because of the guilt he had constrained in war. All these messed up thoughts and feeling were surfacing because he liked Flay, genuinely as herself.

Yzak unclenched the fist he had unconsciously tightened on his side and palmed his face, mortified at himself.

_God, he was acting like a fool and thinking like one when all these thoughts of marriage and proposal were nothing but blind wishful thinking. _

For a start, he couldn't even see himself actually sharing a honest kiss with Flay without bringing up their past.

Asking Flay to marry him will not change what had happen before that; that is for certain. He and Flay didn't have that kind of relationship even from the beginning. War. No. not just war but he also made sure of that.

If he were to propose on such short notice... Flay will most likely refuse. That will not only hurt his ego, but could also damage his current state of relationship with her. _Then he'd end up like Athrun..._

Suddenly, Yzak thought the air felt a lot colder. The future looked dim. The idea didn't seem very appealing. Unlike the certified martyr, he'll go mad waiting.

_But what if she said yes? _Yzak became thoughtful for awhile.

On the other hand, if he doesn't propose. He, Flay and Kaitlyn could stay as they are. He would see them a lot less, but there's always regular phone call.

_Wait. Flay doesn't pick up phones!_

_Oh right. There was always Frances. All's good. Unless, one day, Flay decided to break all ties with him while his gone! _

_..._

Yzak bit on his lip, weighing his options. _Damn._ _To propose or not to propose? _There were too many pros and cons for both.

Then he remembered the phone he had so innocently set down. An idea crossed his mind.

_What if... No. That's just stupid!_

Yzak turned away from it, away from the phone, and began drumming his fingers on the wall, trying to think of something else.

Less than two seconds, he sneaked a glance back at the idle device, looked away again, and then sneaked another. He continued to drum his fingers then. Then he went for the blasted phone; couldn't keep his hand from trembling as he reached out.

_Tsk. He would gamble it!_

Yzak's hands tightened around the small device. He stared at Flay's number on the screen and breathed in._ Chances are slim..._ _but_ _if she picks up... He'd take the chance._... _Right…. If she answers, he'll propose... No regrets._ Yzak pressed the call button and positioned the phone to his ear.

During the first three rings, he heard his own heart beat strongly in his ears.

Once came the fourth and fifth, he actually found himself hoping Flay would miraculously pick up but, unsurprisingly, her phone just kept on monotonously ringing.

The countdown from the next room grew louder as the New Year came ever closer.

He heard the ten... the nine... the eight... the seven... And Yzak was left to close his eyes with resignation as the count went on farther down.

It came to him then just how stupid his idea was in the first place. _What the hell was he even thinking? Did he actually expect something to come out from this? This wasn't even a gamble!_ _This was cheating!_ _This was nothing but cowardice! For a start- Flay never answers her phone; and he knew this!_

There was the two... the one... and-...

A soft _click,_ followed by the sound of a feminine tone made him catch his breath.

"Hello?"

Yzak's eyes widen. It took something of a second for him to come up with a respond. He had been stunned by Flay actually picking up for a change.

"Flay... you answered your phone…."

There came shouts of 'Happy New Year' and 'cheers to another year of peace' escape from the neighboring room.

"Ah…" Flay breathed. "I thought about what you have said and… I didn't want people to come running out of worry again…."

Yzak didn't know what to say._ So she had been listening to him after all…. _And at this knowledge, he felt an odd warmth spread over every inch of his skin, all the way up to his face.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong." Yzak's eyes softened, the tip of his lips curving upward into a small smile. "I just called to….. How's Kaitlyn?"

Yzak leaned over the edge of the fence.

"Kaitlyn's fine. She is in her room, drawing."

"I see…."

There was a slight pause then.

"I know it's still a bit early from where you are at but I just wanted to wish you both- a prosperous new year."

00000

On the other end, Flay also smiled a little.

She sat on the foot of her bed, held the receiver with both hands to her ears.

"Happy CE 76, Yzak."

00000

"Dearka, Happy New Year."

In the midst of the crowd, Yzak raised his glass at the blond only to lower his arm again, correspondingly, when he found the male slumping on a table by himself.

Dearka turned his head; movement dull at first before perking up instantly just as Yzak made his way over.

"Ahh..." Dearka reached for his own glass; plastered a grin onto his face and smiled the same way he had smiled at everyone earlier that night. A lazy, drawn-out smile. "Happy New Year to you too, Yzak." Dearka cheered.

In return, Yzak shot him a low gaze. His unimpressed face making it obvious to the blond that he wasn't fooled by the false face. Not even a little bit.

Giving-up the act, Dearka sighed and frowned. Sluggishly, he placed the nearly empty glass back down on the elegantly clothed surface.

Yzak pulled out a chair and sat down next to his best friend. He said nothing, only looked at him.

_' guess- Miriallia didn't show up..._


	14. So It's Like That

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny.

**A/Note:** Busy. Busy. Busy. Lazy. It reflects, doesn't it?

ToLittleBlueNayru – Meyrin is in Orb with them, but Athrun is pining after Cagalli.

" " for speech  
_Italic for flashbacks, thoughts, and opinions._

I apologize for bad grammar.

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 14: So It's Like That  
**

* * *

The door to the conference room swung open; and Yzak immediately uncrossed his arms.

Being one of the few who were assigned to escort PLANTs' official mediator, Lacus Clyne, Yzak walked up to the Council member once she parted with the Atlantic Federation Representatives.

"So how did it go?" Yzak asked first, eager to know the results, seeing that the last one had been unfavorable.

"All went very well." Lacus told him with a reassuring smile just as the rest of Lacus' bodyguards gathered around her. "PLANTs and Atlantic Federation is now under a contractual Peace Agreement." She managed to add before her PA decided to intervene.

Holding up a portable tablet with both hands, "Ms. Clyne, sorry to interrupt, but it would be best if we get going. The conference took longer than we had expected so we're a little behind schedule. Moreover, the c3 shuttle is set to launch in three hours." The girl explained.

Lacus looked up, a look of dismay on her face.

"Oh, I see... Very well, I suppose it cannot be helped. Thank you, Bernice, for informing me."

The girl bowed and stepped back to the side. Yzak's turned his watchful gaze back to Lacus and he could have sworn the pink-haired Coordinator looked slightly disappointed.

"My apologies to you, Yzak. I would love to stay and chat but it seems that I should be going on ahead." Lacus said with a sigh. "Gentlemen, shall we go then?"

The men nodded understandingly, and stepped back to give the Council woman some space.

Yzak formally took a stepped back as well, and then raised his hand to salute resulting Lacus to return a polite bow before ultimately brushing through him.

"I would love to meet her someday. Please, introduce us, all right?"

It was just a whisper, but this made Yzak's eyes lit up anyway. He turned slightly, catching Lacus' sincere expression just as she passed. And he continued to watch her along with her guards as they headed off farther down the hall without a glance back.

Just then, Yzak's eyes darted suspiciously to his side where Dearka still was. The said blond was supposed to be part of Lacus' escort. "So why are you still here?" He sneered causing Dearka to grin at him in return.

"I got special permissions from Lacus to stay on Earth and help you wrap things up with Project DTW before heading back to ZAFT." Dearka explained.

In hearing this, Yzak's facial expression remain unchanged.

"Tsk. I knew you'd come to enjoy abusing Lacus' authority one day." Yzak turned to leave towards the other direction.

Tailing after him, Dearka let out an awkward chuckle. "Aw. Come on, Yzak. You know it's not like that."

Yzak kept walking.

"If you were planning to bunk with me, think again, you're sleeping on the floor!"

Dearka couldn't help but sweat drop at this. "Yzak, have a heart."

00000

_Three days. _

_Just three days._ And as expected from Dearka, he had successfully befriended everyone at the armory; both male and female alike.

Yzak took another glance at the Physic package in front of him, checking its dynamics when Dearka jubilantly came back with a rolled up flier in one hand.

"Yzak, I found you a setting!" Dearka announced, sounding proud.

"You got me a what?" Yzak was forced to turn around; part irritated at Dearka for disturbing him and part confused at the same time for not knowing what in the world Dearka was getting at again.

"You know..." Dearka contracted his shoulders trying to explain. "A setting."

00000

On the day of Atlantic Federation's Cherry Blossom Festival, the sun had dropped beneath the horizon and dusk was falling rapidly.

Much as he wanted to complain- how long the two were taking, Yzak soundlessly fiddled with his fingers waiting for the girls.

"Yzak, you're fidgeting again." Dearka said, watching him on the living room couch.

Yzak clutched his palms shut before throwing Dearka a glare. "Shut up. I can't help it, okay!"

Flay and Kaitlyn or Flay rather... never fails to keep him waiting, always a minor irritation. Likewise, knowing what he was planning to do tonight made relaxing even more impossible.

"Uncle Yzak, Uncle Dearka, mama and I are ready!" Kaitlyn announced causing Yzak to move from the couch to the foot of the stairs, next to Dearka, to meet them.

At the top of the stairs, Kaitlyn threw a small brown shoulder bag over her head and hurried down with her hand on the polished banister. She wore a white blouse and baby pink skirt with her hair twisted in a knot secured by hairpins and a fan-shaped tortoiseshell comb. Flay on the other hand, as Yzak had expected, was, of course, still no where in sight.

Kaitlyn pressed both hand on her bell skirt as to straighten it.

Dearka leaned forward and smiled at the little girl. "You look very cute."

Kaitlyn's entire face lit up at this. "Really?"

"Yup. Really." Dearka continued playfully. "Would you like to be uncle Dearka's date tonight?"

Despite her chipper mood, Kaitlyn was force to tip her head to the side. "Uncle Dearka, what is a date?" She asked.

"A date is when two people go out and have fun together." Dearka explained, maintaining a happy face.

Kaitlyn's eyes lit up. She stared at Dearka then shifted her attention towards Yzak. Exuberant at what she had just learned, Kaitlyn ran to the other male, and snuggled close to him. She took his hand and shook it as to draw his unwonted attention to her plea. "I want to go on a date with uncle Yzak."

Dearka paled suddenly at the girl's announcement. "I got rejected by preschooler..." The man couldn't believe it. And Yzak was compelled to roll his eyes at Dearka's shocked expression.

Now with one hand on his little girl's, Yzak turned his impatience back to the matter at hand. "Flay, are you done yet?" He yelled out for her, wishing the slow woman would hurry for once.

Sounds of Flay's scurrying foot steps drummed on the floor above them.

"Sorry, I'll be right down. Let me just put on my stilettos!" Flay replied.

Yzak grunted as he heard this._ Always a minor irritation._

"Alright. I'm done!"

"Well. It's about time! We've already missed the o-pe-ning..." Yzak threw a glare up; his gaze swept the length of her, and then swallowed the rest of his words.

When Flay emerged at the stairway in a beige one piece short dress with a wire hem, Yzak felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He had seen Flay countless of time. He had been aware of her profound beauty for what seemed like forever but today... today...

Yzak frowned when Dearka gasped in effect after spotting Flay on the stairs. He shot the blond a sideways look and elbowed him.

"Would you stop staring!" He demanded before watching Flay again with his heart pounding.

_Right. Waiting for her to get ready was always a minor irritation, but it always pleased him to see how attractive she was, how well presented._ He detested sloppy attire or unkempt hair on a woman, and Flay never seem to disappoint.

Her skin was pampered and taut, her hair sleek and glossy, and her figure trim. _Flay was a vision. _Yzak couldn't think of another word for her. Henceforth, the moment she had arrived at the foot of the stairs, he blanked.

_Say something. Say something. Anything!_

"You look nice." Yzak blurted out finally then cursed inside. _That..._ _that was just lame. _

Flay's eyes lit up, surprised at the unexpected compliment. It was lame, yes, but still... it was a first.

"Thank you. So do you."

00000

The street was narrow and warm with people buzzing in every corner.

It was a night illuminated by a full moon. By the river, the lively district they were in was lined up with a fair amount of booths, shops, leaflets and games; all embellished with blooming white and pink cherry blossoms everywhere.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Flay said, referring to the flowers, overhead, while ambling through the festivity with Yzak by her side. "They only bloom once a year."

Eyes at the same sight, Yzak frowned. After having browse through several shops with Flay, "they're flowers." He said plainly. "I'll never understand why people are so crazy about this tree."

Flay muffled a laugh. "Well, I suppose they are a sign of spring and are beautiful to look at. You're just upset because you couldn't get hold of that old mask."

"That mask is worth more than any flower! Think of the history, the culture, the value! Damn vendor wouldn't sell it to me..."

Yzak crossed his arms; Flay tucked her arms behind her back.

"Hmm... you know... In some culture, cherry blossom represents the female dominance. In others, the flower itself has a special meaning. The petals are a symbol of beauty of transient things. Cherry blossom tree which bloom fast and fall at once is usually compared with meeting of new people and separation. It's the idea that when you know something is short lived, always changing, it makes you appreciate it more when it's around." Flay shifted her weight from one leg to the other; her lips curving into a small smile. "Do you find them interesting now?"

Yzak frowned still, eyes shifting from Flay to the trees. "No. Not really."

"You're quite hard to please, aren't you."

Yzak simply let out a shrug.

Wanting to lift up the air, "say, why don't we go cork shooting?" Flay suggested, noticing the game available just two booths away.

There were three teens over there, high school students, and they appeared to be having a lot of fun.

Yzak stared at the same booth and at the same scene then sighed. Looking away, "let's not. I'm not in the mood to shoot anything tonight." He said causing Flay to frown a little.

"You know… If you keep this foul mood up, you'll just ruin the rest of the night for everyone."

"I know that!" He snapped. It's not like he was trying to ruin the night on purpose. And it's not like he enjoyed being annoyed either. It's just that irritating stuff tends to, miraculously, appear everywhere.

Flay could only sigh. "Isn't there anything else here that you find more interesting than that mask?" She asked, whirling to face him.

Yzak blinked at this._ Anything else that's more interesting?_ His gaze drifted to Flay; to her long silky lashes; to her large eyes which appeared blue-gray in the moonlight, striated with orange and blue. Then there was her lips... Yzak felt his cheeks flush. "Of course there is…." He answered with a scowl.

With a charming smile, Flay stopped in midstep, turned and peered eagerly at him. "What is it?"

And for the briefest moment, Yzak's heart skipped a beat as he looked down at Flay's curious face. _If only she knew the effect she had on him... then... never mind._

Encouraging him to tell her, "Hmm?" Flay leaned in slightly resulting Yzak to swallow past the constriction in his throat.

"There just is!" He blurted.

"Hey, you two over there! This isn't a date, you know. Geez..." Dearka said in a voice that made them turn around with a sudden, violent motion, startled to see where they actually were.

Meters behind them, walking hand-in-hand with Kaityln, Dearka had his other hand planted on his hip. Dearka sighed as the two stared at him. He sniffed the air then looked left then right, looking as if he had caught a mouth-watering smell.

"Hey," Dearka called again, this time, waving his free arm. "Kaitlyn and I are just going to grab some takoyaki, okay? So you two can continue on whatever you two are doing... riigghht?" Dearka said, smiling suggestively at Kaitlyn when he finished.

At Dearka's little display, Yzak inwardly gritted his teeth, biting down on his tongue, his face, slowly turning red with anger. Yzak knew that suggestive smile wasn't really meant for Kaitlyn but for him. And Yzak had half mind to yell at Dearka to hush up, though he smiled inward.

_Dearka can tease all he wants._

He was just thankful, Flay had her back turned, or she would have seen the blush that crept onto his cheeks.

"Food?" Kaitlyn raised her head. "But I'm not hungry, uncle Dearka."

"Come on, Kaitlyn, it'll be fun. I'll even get you a cute yoyo balloon." Dearka added, giving the little girl a reason to want to go with him.

With the promise to return soon, Dearka and Kaitlyn disappeared into the crowd afterward.

Yzak and Flay stared after them.

Two seconds later.

Yzak turned on his heel and Flay gasped when he grabbed her wrist and he yanked her forward, dragging her to another path with his long quick strides.

"Wait!" Flay tried to pull away.

"Let them go." Yzak murmured, before Flay could open her mouth with another protest. _The two had been excused, temporarily forgotten._

Flay whipped her head around to glance back at where they were suppose to wait for them. "But... Kaitlyn..."

Yzak didn't let go. Just held her tighter and pulled her along.

"They'll be fine... Kaitlyn will be fine. That guy, he may not always look like it, but Dearka's very dependable." Yzak assured her. Well, Dearka's a top class soldier of ZAFT; that alone was obvious proof enough. But more importantly, he trusts him. Kaitlyn was in good hands.

"Where are you taking me?" Flay's smile faded. "Please, slow down."

He didn't answer her. And being the ass that he was, he didn't slow down either.

They had arrived at the festival by seven, had dinner in one of those stalls, and, until the last few minutes, he had been perfectly calm and composed. Now he was seething with anxiousness, an emotion he wanted to avoid.

The lights grew dim as they weaved through the crowd, moving away from the exuberant booth, the festivities, and everyone else.

Down a dirt trail that lead from the festival to the trees, moonlight slanted in through the flowering cherry trees and fell at Flay's feet as they moved farther and farther from the celebration.

When they were far enough into the thick of the trees, stamping along on top of fallen petals, everything else muffled except for the wind rustling through the branches.

"Flay, can you see yourself falling for me, not necessary now, but maybe in the near future?" Yzak asked softly, though still staring straight ahead of him.

"What?" Flay tipped her head upwards to look Yzak in the face even though all she could see was his back to her. She was a bit tired now and panting from trying to keep up with him. So she didn't think she had heard him correctly.

Yzak tightened his hold on her.

"Have you ever thought about getting married?"

Flay eyes went wide at this. Then Yzak stopped walking, so suddenly, that Flay almost crashed into him.

They had stopped in the edge of the plaza, near the river, amidst the petals that had fallen onto the ground.

"Do you want to get married?"

Flay stiffened as though he'd struck her with his modest proposal.

A long silence stretched between them. Both of them thinking of the right thing to say next. Neither of them wanting to mess up.

"Marry me, Flay!" Yzak said finally turning around, though Flay found herself still unable to speak. Their eyes locked. His gaze was firmly fixed on Flay, as it had been since the moment she had descended the stairs tonight.

He gave her wrist another anxious squeeze.

"This probably isn't how you girls imagined a proposal... I'm not accustomed to make them, so sorry if this lacks polish."

"Yzak..."

"I'm aware this is sudden," Yzak cut her off, "but I don't really have a lot of time... I'm not the type who'd kneel down and beg. Although, in the long run, I'm not asking for much anyway- just for you to come with me back to PLANTs... I won't wait for you hand and foot. I don't have the patience for that. But I promise to take care of you; take care of Kaitlyn. I'll fund her education and everything else that she'll need. I'll handle everything." Yzak swallowed hard, his heart pounding as he pulled in his bottom lip and hurt it with his teeth.

To be perfectly honest, he was expecting this day to come. He had rehearsed several times on what to say and how to react, but he... now that it was actually happening— him proposing to her... his hand began to sweat and his heart felt like it was about to explode.

"We... don't have to have sleep together if you don't want to... I'm aware we got off with a bad start... So if that's something you don't want to do, I perfectly understand."

Once he was done, seeing Flay… standing there… within his reach… suddenly intimidated him. And he studiously trained his eyes on the ground, afraid of whatever answer that may come. _No! _Yzak mentally shook his head. _He has to be stronger than this! _He had plotted every possible outcome in his head beforehand; ran through those very scenarios several times. He was ready for anything Flay could say!

"I'm sorry." Flay closed her eyes. "I can't marry you."

Anything… but that.

"You can't or you won't?" Yzak brought his head back up.

Flay tore her eyes away. She was the one who avoided his gaze this time. She _was hiding something._ He could see the tightening in her hands, her breathing catch just a little.

"Both..." Flay sighed. "I won't marry you... and I can't go to PLANTs either."

"Why the hell not?"

"I can't... Kira's there... You two are friends now, right?" She said in a voice that made him stop immediately.

"Kira? Kira Yamato?" Yzak quickly assumed. His hand was like a vice on her wrist, and he gave her a squeeze to punctuate his words. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

Flay ducked her head, letting a curtain of hair hide her face. She couldn't look at him. "Like you… He… is someone who I have hurt…. So you can stop lying to yourself." She explained, feeling the bareness of her wrist now, now that he had released her. And she compensated for it by replacing his hand with her own and pulled them to her chest.

Yzak froze for a second, and then his eyes narrowed. "What lie are you talking about?"

Flay released a deep, sighing breath; "Marriage. About wanting to marry. Be honest to yourself. You don't want to marry me." She said, trying to spell it out for him. "You only think you do; that's because you are being selfish."

Flay looked past him, her lids lowered briefly, her eyes soft and unfocused, as if she wanted to shut away the memory.

"Over all, you feel remorseful. And after meeting Kaitlyn, having the chance to reflect, you feel responsible for her. Your feelings right now are simply a series of wanting to redeem yourself. It has nothing to do with love or that sort. It just so happens, marrying me seems like the most convenient thing for you to do." Flay sighed.

"Have you even considered- how I would feel about this?" Flay asked rhetorically. "What had happened between us during the war: all the hurtful things you've said to me, the things you've done, do you actually believe that I'll just forget about those and develop feelings for you just because you have learned to say a few kind words?" Flay continued. "… Falling for you and marrying you would be foolish on my part." She laughed, though it sounded more nervous than light.

"Listen. Just because I had allowed you to visit Kaitlyn now and then doesn't make us any more than friends... Why I had allowed such a thing in the first place was not because I had forgiven you either... If you must know, I did it only because I know how you feel... Because I, too, wanted redemption, once upon a time..." Flay's gaze shifter to the side. "Do you understand now? It was all empathy, nothing more. You should learn to move on, Yzak." She said, as if it were that simple.

00000

Eventually, the natural sound of wind rustling through the trees returned as silence ensued around them. It was an unnerving dead air, heavy and cold.

When Yzak did not show any response to Flay's reasoning, his sudden silence alarmed her. _Had she said too much?_ Flay regarded Yzak steadily... She looked up quickly, and then wished she hadn't as his eyes captured hers and refused to relinquish her gaze.

He didn't seem to be angry at her, or frustrated... In fact, as she'd noted, his face seemed solemn, almost completely blank... as though he simply wasn't all that interested in what she was telling him anymore.

"So it's like that. …" He eventually said.

Flay didn't speak... she couldn't. She wanted to pull herself out of her thoughts and chose to simply pretend she wasn't a bit affected by his sudden change of demeanor. But all she could do was frown up at him, and wish that he wouldn't let go... that she could rewind time and take back what she'd said because his eyes... they were terrible.

"Just because you've been right about me a couple of times, doesn't mean you know everything about me or how I feel..."

The tone of his voice was even. But Flay felt the ground beneath her break at his words.

"You talk about other's problems as if they were your own…. I get it now." Yzak closed his eyes, looking as if he understood everything now, before opening them again. "It's all coming together... This isn't about me; It's about you, isn't it?... I'm not the one with the problem. You're the one who hasn't moved on."

Yzak pressed his mouth into a firm line.

"I know everyone may think you're confident and independent now, Flay. But you're not... You haven't changed at all. You're a complete coward and it's pathetic." He said in a gruff, almost harsh voice, and Flay was thankful they were the only ones near the river.

"No one knows your alive, right? He doesn't know, right?" He said, referring to Kira, as if trying to prove a point. Nonetheless, what he had just revealed were both true. And Flay, inexplicably, suddenly felt, terribly, very afraid of what he would come up next.

"I used to wonder- why you never held the crime I did against me. You could have so easily filed a case. And you would have won too... I was starting to think that maybe you were naturally forgiving.. But then, I would have been a fool to believe that because you were fooling everybody... In the end, you were just scared, right? You were afraid that the media would pick it up and you'd be forced back into the spotlight; forced to face what you've been running from all these years: your father's influence, the people you've hurt, war, and everything else."

Yzak heaved a breath. "You've surrounded yourself with only a few group of people. You think I wouldn't notice? You don't answer your phone. You're so called friends told me you don't date or enjoy meeting new people either. You rarely go out during your spare time, but when you do, you're always alone. And I meant- go out as- hangout with your friends, for yourself, and not because Kaitlyn wanted to... What are you so afraid of? ... People? Intimacy? getting hurt?"

Standing there, Flay lowered her eyelids. "I'm perfectly con-..."

"Bullshit! What's so great about hiding?" Yzak spat.

Flay's cheek paled, instantly. "How da-!"

"Shut up, and let me finish!" Yzak demanded forcing Flay widen her eyes with wary.

Picking up from where he had left off, "You know what I think?" Yzak quickly continued. "I think you are just afraid to crossover the boundary you've set yourself and widen your range. You're afraid to move on, shine, and see for yourself just how bright, beautiful, and confident you really can be..."

Flay's eyes remained wide while Yzak lowered his head. His voice lowered, softened.

"I don't know what happened between you and Yamato that you can't even show your face to him. Was it because of me? What I did to you? If so, then I'm sorry. But regardless of that fact, if you can't even bring yourself to overcome your own fears then you'll never get anywhere. And that's even more pathetic. Sorry, to have wasted your time."

The wind had picked up.

After one last heartrending glance, Yzak turned his back to her.

"Oh, and for your information, just because I don't go running around trying to find ways to kill Yamato doesn't make him my friend." He said finally then left.

Yzak footsteps faded; Flay glance into the darkness. it was only then that her entire body shook weakly.

He was gone. It was over. She was at loss for words because Yzak was right. The words he had said had undeniable truth in them. And for the longest time, she had to wonder _when had he?... when had she...? What had plague her to have allowed Yzak to get this close to her and her family?_ So undeniably close that he could easily inflict pain into her chest right after a few words.

A distance from the scene, Kaitlyn unhooked her hand from Dearka's a few seconds before Yzak shouldered through his best friend.

"Mama, Mama!" Kaitlyn called and ran to her mother's side all excited. "Mama, is it true that when you marry Uncle Yzak, he will be my papa?" The girl said all excited.

At Kaitlyn's word, still, as painful as it was, Flay silently forced herself not to cry and did her best by putting up her best smile. "Now, who told you that?"

"Uncle Dearka." Kaitlyn answered immediately then frowned.

Flay straightened her spine and shoved back her hair. "Listen to me, Kaitlyn. You shouldn't always believe what others tell you." Flay took her daughter's hand in hers, gave it a little comforting squeeze and began leading them both back home.

In the dim light, Kaitlyn looked up and managed to caught a glimpse of her mother's face. "Mama, why you crying?"


	15. An Expression of

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny.

**A/N:** Hmm… Drama. Drama. Probably too much drama? I'm hoping the events don't seem rushed. If there's something that doesn't make sense, please let me know. Thanks for the reviews and the awesome support!

" " for speech  
_Italic for flashbacks, thoughts, and opinions._

Again. I apologize for bad grammar.

Rated T only :D

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 15: An Expression of  
**

* * *

A week had gone. Although this may only amount to a few short days to some, to Flay, those last couple of days felt like forever.

As usual, Yzak still continues to visit Kaitlyn on a regular basis; she at least had not denied him of that particular privilege. However, ever since the fight she had with him, they had stopped engrossing in actual conversations, much less looked each other in the eyes. And to Flay's own surprise, looking forward to mornings have turned into quite a tedious task since.

After turning down Yzak's marriage proposal, she knew that there would be no words of forgiveness or understanding in his head—there would be no mention of a proposal again or of her. That didn't matter.

Although it would be impossible for her to communicate with Yzak normally as usual, she indulged on the thought that she could at least maintain a fragile link through Kaitlyn.

With one last snip of the shears, the extra chiffon Flay had been cutting all afternoon fell to the ground.

Flay inspected the cloth in her hand then to the one that fell to the floor. Realizing what she did wrong, "Ah. I made a mistake again…" Flay muttered, sounding deadpan.

"What is it this time?" Allen came right over. His eyebrows came together with a sigh at Flay's unusual ineptitude as he studied her. This was the third time today. The thirty-seventh time for the past week.

With head bowed low, Flay held out the material she had been working to her coworker for an inspection. Originally, it was suppose to be an extra layer on a skirt. But when Allen held it up, it appeared to be at least three inches shorter than planned and crooked to one side.

Nonetheless, Allen tacked her creation on the dress form and gave the pre-finish outfit a long overview.

Flay frowned at her sloppy work; Allen stroked his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Surprisingly, it works." Allen commented causing Flay to sigh, not believing him. "No, really it looks good." Allen rephrased, assuring her, but Flay simply shook her head.

"You don't have to act all nice to me… I am aware how my performance has been slipping lately."

Allen frowned at this. He sighed then took another glimpse at the dress displayed in front of them both. _It was really a nice looking dress, _he thought. The unplanned alteration hadn't ruined the design, but rather embellished it. _Flay seems really out of it, not to have notice this._

"Flay, maybe you should take the rest of the day off." Allen suggested.

Flay pulled out a handkerchief and coughed. "Why?"

"Well..." Allen began, trying not to sound too personal. "You haven't been acting like yourself lately. Not to mention, you've turned quite pale. And there's the frequent coughing."

"I'm fine."

"You sure?" Allen added, not believing her. "Because if you're not feeling well, there's no harm in taking the rest of day off. We're practically half done here anyway. I can assign Stefanie to finish the rest of this for you."

"I'm fine, Allen. I can continue." Flay closed her eyes and took in a breath. She reached for another piece of chiffon piled on her table and resumed cutting. "Working late won't be an issue either. I have already instructed Frances to tuck Kaitlyn into bed when I get home late."

"What about Yzak?"

Flay's jittery hand froze for a while at the mention of the name, though her eyes remained cast down. "What about him?"

Allen straightened his back with a sigh. "Did you tell him you'll be working late? Will he be coming to fetch you?"

"No, I didn't... It doesn't matter... He's not my keeper. He'll find that out from Frances sooner later."

Allen blinked in disbelief at the unusual aloofness then frowned. "Did you two have a fight or something?" He put two and two together and came up with an idea of what happened. "That bastard. Did he hurt you?"

Flay said nothing and simply shook her head.

Right now, she didn't want to think about Yzak, didn't want to see him, or even hear the mention of him. She needed to get a grip and get her mind off him.

Brooding over what happened was wrong on so many levels in the first place. It was like rubbing salt into wound. Yzak was supposed to be a selfish arrogant bastard, wasn't he? He was the type who would leap before he looks. People like him were bad news, not to mention that he had hurt her in more ways than one in the past! She should not be agonizing like this, especially because of him. There was no justifying reason for it, but she was hurting... and she can't help it because she could distinctly remember... how Yzak can be so sweet at present time…

Flay's body shook at the thoughts_._ She just realized without warning how much time a day she had been spending with Yzak until he was suddenly no longer there to spend it with. And she shut her eyes tight, forcing the tears that were threatened to spill back in.

_This was all Yzak's fault_! _He did this to her!_ He made her feel _things_ when she was around him.

_SLAM!_

"Mother, everyone, come quick! Something weird is going on outside!"

Everyone turned to the door at the exclamation and followed the employee to the other side.

Outside, an ambulance sped across the shop.

Transfixed, everyone from the boutique stood still while witnessing how the locals frantically come and go, heading for refuge as if a storm had gather, rendering a lot of confusion and at the same time panic.

"Run for your lives! A third war is coming!" One of them declared while running.

"Save yourselves!" yelled another.

"What is going on here?" Mother demanded, hoping someone could still provide answers in spite of the uproar.

"Haven't you heard? They say a Coordinator was shot at Pavilion Road. Heard it was somewhere near that old Nita's place." A personnel from the neighboring shop replied causing color to drain out from Mother and everyone else's faces.

"Could this be the work of Blue Cosmos?" One of the girls asked.

The personnel shook his head uncertain of the answer.

Recognizing where the crime took place, "hey, Flay..." Allen said, sounding grave. "Isn't that where Yzak…" But before Allen could finish, Flay had rushed out into the streets,_ running breathlessly._

00000

_No. Please, let it not be him!_

She was dimly aware of the sharp cries for her to be careful overlaid by the frightened screams.

The wind created by her haste whipped her hair behind her and tore her shirttails from the waist of her pencil skirt.

_It didn't matter anymore… Nothing mattered._

It was Wednesday, twelve days after the confrontation with Yzak. She had tried to forget all about him. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't, especially not when anything and everything brought his face up. And whatever that she was reminded of him would bring about an unsolicited pain in her chest.

She didn't want to see Yzak, yet she needed to see him. She wanted him to disappear, but here she was, breathlessly running to him out of worry, fearing that he really just might. She couldn't seem to focus on one thought, her mind jumbled and spinning.

For a moment, Flay wanted to forget everything and simply understand herself, but nothing made sense anymore… nothing.

After running a block, suddenly Flay felt her chest was encompassed with a pain more searing than anything she had ever imagined possible and the breath was knocked from her lungs as her stamina ran out.

Unable to go on, Flay stop on her tracks and panted hard. She looked up exhausted. A crowd caught her eyes. And Flay practically felt her heart stop when she saw the ambulance from before now part of the arc.

Fear burned through her, making it difficult to stay calm as she forced herself to continue and pushed her way into the packed crowd until she was surrounded by it.

_Don't die! Please, don't die!_

The air was laden with the smell of sweat and heat, the uncomfortable, lack of oxygen seeming to curdle the contents of her stomach. Fighting a surge of nausea, Flay swallowed repeatedly and dealt with it.

All she wanted was some reassurance that Yzak was alive and well.

A couple of cameras flashed.

"Is the guy dead?"

"He doesn't seem to be moving…."

_No, that can't true!_

Stunned, Flay gulped in a lungful of air, then another, fearing she was about to faint. She couldn't gather her wits or comprehend the horror people was saying and she grew dizzy with disbelief.

_He couldn't be dead!_

"Calm down people! The guy just lost consciousness!"

"Stop panicking! The guy's not dead!"

_Yzak! Dearka!_

Flay looked up sharply. Her heart pounded and sweat trickled beneath her clothes. Just by hearing the sound of Yzak's strong unfaltering voice caused a warm ache of relief inside her, thawing the detachment that had encased her for days.

Flay's breath came in shuddering gasps. "Please, let me through." She squeezed harder against the bodies that pushed around her, aiming to get closer to the scene.

A moment later, finally, a small clearing.

A medic dressed in sober white pressed forward examining the fallen Coordinator with an unnatural hair color of light purple.

Flay looked across the body at Yzak and Dearka knelt on each side.

"Yzak!" She cried out.

Waves of cold and heat winnowed through her as Yzak turned to look over his shoulder.

To save face, Flay knew that she should have stayed on the sidelines. But as she saw him there safe, the urge to hug him in relief became unbearable. And with every step taken, the sense of exigency became sharper.

She had a blurred flash of Yzak's surprised face, and then Flay found herself shamelessly falling into his arms at the same time her legs gave, ignoring the odd looks and whispers that followed.

"Hey, are you all right?" Yzak exclaimed instinctively after he had caught her, noticing a mixture of relief and fear burned on her eyes.

Hiccupping for air, "I thought... I really thought..." Flay stammered and began crying on his shirt. She was barely holding herself together. "I was so scared… Thank God, you are okay."

In no time, the paramedics took out the equipments and carefully hauled the injured man on the stretcher.

Yzak gazed around him. He stroked Flay's back for a little moment longer, comforting her, before letting out an impatient sigh.

"Flay, I have to go." Yzak said, motioning the girl to snap out of it and let go. But to his dismay, Flay held on to him with whatever little strength she could muster, which was pretty weak, and continued to cry on his shirt. It was a sign of how stupidly self-absorbed she had been that she hadn't already noticed the urgency of the situation.

"Flay, I mean it!" Yzak's voice rose with a sudden impatience after a second later, though it may appear that he didn't have it in him to forcefully pry her off and abandon her in her current state either.

Yzak's forehead scrunched up. This was proving to be a problem for him... And Flay could have sworn she heard him swore under his breath.

"Its okay, Yzak, I got this!"

Yzak whipped his head around at the sound of Dearka's serious tone. The male held a hand up in assurance as he got up on his feet, ready to accompany the paramedics and the injured to the nearest hospital.

Yzak stared after him resulting in the best friends' to exchange a quick but meaningful glance.

"Don't worry!" Without wasting another minute, Dearka climbed into the ambulance. "I got this!" He insisted finally before the door was shut closed.

00000

The drive back to her house has been a quiet one. The change of scenery had reduced the hubbub earlier into nothing more than eerie silence. The swift sound of cars passing through outside being the only sounds they could hear.

Once they arrived at the gates of her house, Flay was looking at her hands folded primly on her lap.

Eventually, the car was pulled to a stop. Yzak turned off the engine then he stilled, staring down at the steering wheel, searching, like he had never seen one for a very long time.

"You should hurry up. Kaitlyn must be waiting for you inside."

Flay tossed Yzak a sidelong glance. "You are not coming in?" She asked with a frown evident in her tone.

Yzak let out a weary sigh. "Not today... I still need to get to the hospital." He explained causing Flay to stare down at her knees. Somehow she just knew that that was not the only reason why he would rather go.

"I see..."

For a long moment, Flay didn't move, hoping, wishing Yzak would change his mind, look at her, start a conversation, or at least offer to accompany her to the house, but then moment passed. It came to Flay then that neither of those was going to happen. Yzak was that relentless.

Flay buckled her knees together and fisted her skirt nervously; then her eyes teared causing Yzak to turn to her, draw back, looking shock and unsure of what to do with her.

Her hands shook. She'd never quite been able to conquer the spasm of agitation, but she could bide it. "It wasn't you…" She began from being unable to keep the insensitive act any longer. Having Yzak act so coldly towards her, like they were strangers, was undeniably painful. She did not want this hurt. "You are not the reason why I'm the way I am now... You think too highly of yourself…" Flay's hand tightened more as she continued. "What happened inside the Vesalius was awful… During that time, I have ended up seeing things… gone through a lot of pain… and have come to reflect on them… What had happened between you and I was unpleasant. But you- were just part of an even bigger mess that I have undeniably created for myself…. The way I am right now... wasn't your fault..."

Slowly, Flay turned to Yzak. He had tried to hide his relief, but she took notice of the tension visibly drained from his shoulders.

"Near the end of the first war, I wanted to tell Kira how I truly felt. I wanted to tell him... I was determined to apologize for all of the wrong I've done. But after the war, you could say- I simply lost the courage to face him again." Flay paused and looked at air. "You where right about me being scared. I was afraid of the outcome accompanied by starting a trial. But think of it this way... If I had gone through with it, it would only have resulted in more conflict. It would have ruined you…. you would have ended up hating me… And we would not be here like this today…."

When she finally managed to look at Yzak once more, his eyes still held a disquieting gleam. He seemed to share her look of discomfort, but at least he nodded his head. "I see…" He leaned back on his seat, raked his fingers through his hair and inhaled. "I guess... I should have been more grateful."

"I have said a fair share of mean things too… I'm sorry."

Yzak didn't respond, just stared ahead of him for a minute. After three heartbeats, he turned away and stepped out of the car.

Flay stared after him in surprise, wondering what he was doing.

Yzak went around the back before pulling her door open. Accordingly, Flay tipped her chin up. She looked at him, and then her eyes smiled with relief as Yzak extended a hand. Being able to see him smile, though weakly, even for a little while, was a wonderful thing.

"I'll walk you in."

00000

Flay took the offered hand and stepped down to the concrete driveway.

Yzak led them to the door.

Once the door was unlocked, without bothering a glance, "I'll make some tea… uh, and some sandwiches" said Flay, quickly leaving her bag and keys on a nearby counter before hurrying towards the kitchen.

Eventually, Yzak followed her in.

For a moment, he watched Flay in the dim illumination from the lamps and headlights outside that filtered through the curtained windows then frowned.

"That won't be necessary. I will be leaving now." Yzak said immediately before Flay could actually reach the kitchen.

"So soon?" As expected, Flay frowned upon turning around. "Won't you stay a little longer?"

Yzak undeniably shook his head as a response. "A Coordinator was shot today. Once this information circulate and reaches PLANTs. I can't guaranty it won't encourage an outbreak." Noting the fear mirrored in Flay's eyes, he added, "don't worry. I'll do everything I can to prevent a war."

Flay said nothing about this, but her eyes automatically, uneasily, drew to the ground. They shifted left, right then left again before "wait!" She called out to him.

Half way to the exit, Yzak paused then turned around. "What is it?"

A wry, affectionate smile tugged at Flay's lips as she stared at him. "Before you go, please, bend down and let me fix your collar. It's wrinkled."

Had Yzak not been so distracted, He would have pointed out that there was no need for her to neaten his appearance. He was going to the hospital and help clear up the mess. _When another war is at stake, who'll give a damn about a wrinkled shirt?_ But Yzak bent automatically, indulging Flay's slightest wish out of the sheer force of habit he had developed under his mother's care.

Although, Instead of straightening out his collar, Flay stood on her toes, pulled him towards her, and brought her mouth to his. Bewilderment snatched Yzak's words away. And for an infinitesimal moment, his entire body froze from the shock of pleasure. It was a kiss, just a kiss_,_ but, _oh God_, when her lips slanted over his, _searching his with awkward determination,_ his shaky grasp on his self-control lasted for less than a minute.

He felt intoxicated. _Her lips were so lush and delicate. _Yzak made an agitated sound in his throat. He wanted to hold her. He wanted her. And as Flay had known, he willingly yields to her quiet demand. He parted his lips, and immediately sought to deepen the kiss.

Without a word, Flay lifted her arms and wrapped them about his neck, not giving him a chance to let go from her grip. Yzak returned the favor by twining one arm around her waist and cradling her head with the other. He felt the strands of her hair between his fingers and the sensual warmth of her back, enticed him to feel much more.

Restless, Yzak broke the kiss and Flay gasped his name throwing her head back when he stove for access to her neck. That was all the encouragement he needed before slowly working his mouth downward to her collarbone against the soft skin exposed by the open neckline of her shirt, drowning in her scent.

Yzak moved in closer, forcing Flay backwards, until her rear bumped the edge of her furniture. As if in slow motion, he leaned into her, letting her take his weight. And she leant back accordingly, slowly reclining on the living room couch.

He could feel her skin against him as she skillfully unbuttoned his shirt. The next few minutes were a pleasurable haze of touch, lips and soft moans escaping their lips, but Yzak came to an abrupt stop when he realized their positions.

Yzak dragged air back into his body.

The sleeves of Flay's beige blouse had fallen off her shoulders and he was on his hands and knees, a leg in between her stocking covered thighs, his arms holding him up from both sides of her head.

As she felt him stop, Flay opened her blue-gray eyes to look at him.

_God, she looked so damn sexy. _But Yzak shook his head, rejecting the idea. He wasn't that kind of person. With only immense will, Yzak lifted each of his arms from the couch and climbed off her, though most of his body was roaring for him to get back.

"I can't do this." Yzak groaned. He had no idea how Flay felt towards him, whether she liked him as a friend or maybe something more, or perhaps she hated him and was teasing him for her sick pleasure. All Yzak knew was that he has positive affectionate feelings towards Flay and until she came to him and professed that she felt the same way, he was not going to lay another finger on her... no matter what!

"I'm not touching you until we are legal."

Flay stayed where she was, bringing her arm down to her side as she stared at him, definitely surprised and somehow a bit disappointed.

They both became silent then, trying to read the conflicting emotions in each others' faces.

Flay sat up, her shirt falling lower down her body, but still clueless as to what to say.

Yzak buttoned up his shirt fast.

Flay fisted her hands on the cushions beneath her. "I don't understand... Don't you want me?"

Yzak felt his whole body tense up, his face flinch, and his hand fist. God knew he want her more than he want his next breath.

"I should go." Yzak aimed for the door. He had to get out of there fast before he loses control again.

"No, you can't!"

"What?" Yzak whipped his head around, confused, and then was shock when he had discovered Flay's hand, surprisingly, hooked on the back of his shirt.

"You can't go…. It's dangerous out there!"

Those eyes that had flashed sensually before now flashed worry.

Yzak closed his eyelids and frowned. He raked his hand through his hair. _Think about cold water. _"Flay, let go. Don't make me do it for you. I'm not staying."

Flay reluctantly took her hands off. She did not dare disobey, not when she could hear that biting note in his voice.

"What do you want me to say?"

As cold as it may seem, Yzak didn't show any sign that he had heard her and went for the door.

"I'll marry you!"

Yzak stopped. That got his attention.

"That's what you want me to say, correct?"

He shot her a glance of cold warning.

"Of course, that's what I want! What? Are you planning to use that against me now?"

Taken aback by the unexpected bluntness, Flay closed her lips firmly, "Fine! I'll marry you!"

"This isn't the time for damn jokes, Flay!"

"I'm serious!" Flay shrieked. "I'll marry if you stay here tonight!"

Yzak growled under his breath, "You don't seem to understand the situation here. People are panicking out there!" Yzak exasperated, pointing a finger outside. "If I-"

"No." Flay shook her lowered head. "I understand perfectly! That is why… That is why! ….. Let Dearka handle the mess! He's there already, isn't he? Go be a hero another day!" She said, looking completely serious and sounding completely desperate. "Naturals, Coordinators, everyone's all the same. All it takes is single bullet to end life… So please, even just for tonight…. please, stay here with me..."

Yzak looked at Flay in shock, examining her expression that warmed his core. _She was protecting him, trying to keep him close._ If he had been presented with that idea at another time, he would have been mad as hell. Right now, however, he realized he was in over his head.

"Please?" She begged. "I don't know what I'll do if you end up hurt just because I can't get you to stay…"

Their gazes held for a frozen moment. Silence overwhelmed the room. And for the first time, Yzak Joule looked beaten. He was in love with her. In spite of her clear flaws, it was hard to stay mad.

Yzak sighed. "Guess I have no choice…. Alright. I'll stay."

Flay stared at him in surprise, sounding shakily hoarse. "Really?"

"Yes." A wry, affectionate smile tugged Yzak's lips then he paused, adding, "But no more funny business _like luring me in with sex!"_

Flay diligently nodded her head.

After searching Flay's eyes for any trace of dishonestly, Yzak made his way back to the couch and into the seat next to her. With a tired sigh, he leaned back against the stuffed cushions. Flay guided her hands to the sleeves of his shirt, studying him carefully, wary that he might suddenly change his mind.

Two to three heartbeats later.

"Mama, can I sleep on the couch with you and uncle Yzak?"

Yzak and Flay turned their head, surprised to find Kaitlyn at the foot of the stairs. _How long had she been there watching them?_ Nevertheless, Flay held out her arms, gesturing Kaitlyn to come to her embrace.

With a stuff animal in hand, Kaitlyn perked up at this and gleefully rushed into her mother's arms.

When all was set and done, they maintained a meaningful silence. It was like they had reached a comfortable median, where there was little need for words.

When Flay drew down until her head cradled on his shoulder, Yzak slipped an arm around her, holding her and Kaitlyn close. Surprisingly, he wasn't surprised at all. It all felt and happened so naturally…

00000

About two hours later, Yzak untangled Flay's fingers on his arm, carefully moving her sleeping form from his chest to the armrest of the sofa, and quietly slipped out of the living room couch.

Once he thought he was far enough to cause any form of disturbance, he pulled out his phone and immediately called Dearka on speed dial.

The blond's phone rang once, twice, _click._

"Dearka, what's the situation?" Yzak asked, pulling a portion of the curtained window open. He glanced out at the neighboring houses, noticing how the lights were still on.

"False alarm, Yzak. It was hair dye. The guy's a Natural. We got it confirmed through his birth certificate and the testimonials from his family. They are all here. According the police, the guy was mugged and they're searching for the culprit right now. Although heavily wounded, his life is in no danger. Don't worry about the circulating confusion. I got it all under control."

"Is that so... That's good news then." Yzak turned his gaze back to the living room where Flay and Kaitlyn were still sleeping soundlessly on the couch then "Hey, Dearka?" Yzak said with a soft sigh.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

00000

Next bright and early Saturday morning, Dearka unhooked WuFei from its leash, allowing the dog to roam free at the park.

"You know my advice to you about those bullies of yours?" said Dearka to Kaitlyn while grabbing hold of the monkey bar they were both under. "Ignore them. Because when you grow up and turn into a total babe. And I'm sure you will. Those boys who picked on you will end up kicking themselves."

A few meters away from the three, Flay let out a light giggle while sitting on a bench with Yzak. "I like how Dearka thinks." She told him, almost in a whisper.

Yzak rolled his eyes with a long, unraveling sigh. "Yeah, well, if he ends up teaching Kaitlyn anything nasty, it'll be his head." Yzak said aloud with every intention of letting the said male hear him.

Dearka countered this of course, setting off Yzak and Dearka's usual bickering.

And when Flay caught Yzak smile that very morning, she couldn't help but smile as well.

Once Yzak had retired, they sat in companionable silence for a few moments until Yzak asked, "What kind of ring would you like?" with a faint blush on his cheeks.

Flay blinked once, confused, and looked at Yzak in a way that suspended them both in silent stiffness before all came back to her. "Ah." Flay responded. She drew back. Her eyes wide. _Yzak was referring to her engagement ring! _

_They were engaged now,_ _right_... Flay laughed nervously inside as her mood sunk instantly. She had agreed to marry him in a rash, spur of the moment, decision driven by desperation. Although Yzak had not stayed over for that particular purpose, he had indeed stayed for her. And now, she was expected to keep her end.

Flay looked up at air, looked far, as if she was really giving Yzak's question some thought, though her mind drifted else where. Her promise to him left unforgotten.

She wondered what would happen if she were to suddenly take back her words. How would Yzak react? How would Dearka react?

_Marriage… with Yzak_. _What an impossible gigantic step. How could she go through with it?_ And yet this inconvenient voice in the back of her mind kept chanting, _why not?_

Yzak have stirred her as no other had done. Even if she was not ready yet to consider the idea of love, she could not deny that she likes him. She found Yzak attractive and she enjoyed his conversations and his company. But when she thought of a future with him her shoulder would hunch with discomfort. Ahead, the road would be vague, blank and waiting before her. It would not be what she was used to. It would not be what people expected of her, or of her.

Her feelings for him were strong…. just not to that degree.

_At a time like this, what would her father say?_

Flay thought of her father. What in the world would he say to his daughter for pledging her hand to someone like Yzak? _Perhaps 'not quite a perfect match for his daughter?'_ Flay's shoulders shook with a meek suppress laughter. _And yet what could he object to? It didn't bear thinking of. Her father had been long gone..._

"Flay?"

"Ah, sorry. I would like" cough "to be able to choose" cough "my own ring." She told him before pulling out a handkerchief as she involuntary coughed some more. _What was she supposed to say?_

Yzak bent forward, his brows narrowed, appearing concerned. "Are you feeling all right? You've been coughing a lot lately."

Flay uncovered her mouth once the coughing had stopped. She wanted to tell Yzak that she was fine, that there was nothing for him to be concerned about, but, suddenly, she couldn't tell him that. Flay caught her breath. Her entire body trembled at what she uncovered.

Apparently, Yzak caught her hesitate and shifted his attention from her face to her hand, to check what was wrong. Now, he saw it too. The blood tainted on her handkerchief.


	16. Saying Goodbye

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny.

**A/N:** Argh. I missed my intended deadline.

To G. Wings - She won't. She'll figure that one out on her own once she grows up.

" " for speech  
_Italic for flashbacks, thoughts, and opinions._

Again. I apologize for bad grammar.

**REDEMPTION: To Be Family: Chapter 16: Saying Goodbye  
**

* * *

Yzak paced the hall endlessly in tight little circles trying to burn off his agitation. _It's been hours! _Half a day since the doctor, whose last name was Sevilla, lead Flay away for check-up examinations.

"Yzak, maybe it would be best to sit down." Dearka, being a friend, both sighed and frowned. "Pacing the hall isn't going to make procedures go any faster." Dearka told him after becoming increasingly aware of how the people around were starting to get irritated from watching the agitated Coordinator circle.

Immediately, Yzak opened his mouth to argue, but Dearka stopped him by holding up a finger to his lips reminding him to be quiet due to Kaitlyn having cried herself to sleep on the waiting bench.

Yzak frowned remorsefully.

Dearka on the other hand, simply smiled a soft smile. "Come on." He tapped on the open space next to him that Yzak resignedly occupied hereafter, which was to everyone else's relief.

Three seconds later. Yzak slumped forward. He gave Dearka a short glance, before crossing his fingers together.

"I'm sorry for all the troubles I've cause you." Yzak muttered, thinking to how Dearka had willingly let Kaitlyn cry on his shoulder today; to how Dearka was always looking out for him; to how Dearka had always been there for him through thick and thin. "Thank you for being my friend... for always being there even though it annoys me most of the time."

At this, Dearka was force to look up with surprise, and saw the person who he thought was his arrogant best friend sitting next to him. That was probably the last moment he would be able to look at Yzak with a straight face again.

Dearka punch Yzak on the arm playfully. "Damn, Yzak. Don't get all serious like that with me all the sudden. You're making me blush."

"I mean it." Yzak snapped before suddenly turning red as well. "So savor it while you can because I'm not saying it again!"

Dearka chuckled at this. "Okay, thanks. Although, for what's it worth, I believe you'd do the same for me if I were in your position."

Yzak made no comment; just cast a sideway glance and watched Dearka stroke Kaitlyn's back as the girl slept next to the male with her head plopped on his lap. "She's not being difficult, is she?"

Dearka lit up a grin. "Not at all, you and your daughter are much alike."

A few minutes later. Once the doctor assigned to Flay reappeared at the waiting hall, Yzak, having recognized the woman immediately, stood up even before she could call up his name.

"How is she? Is Flay going to be all right?"

Stopping in front of Yzak, the assigned doctor, looked up, dropped her arms along with the electronic tablet to her side and tucked the matching pen into her shirt pocket.

"Ms. Allster has been diagnosed with stage 2a, Adenocarcinoma, lung cancer." She revealed with a frown forcing Yzak to do the same.

Having a hard time comprehending what the doctor just said, Yzak turned to Dearka for his reaction, wanting to know what Dearka's thought on this was. Almost immediately, he got his confirmation when Dearka screwed his face into a puzzled question mark.

Turning back to the woman, looking somber, "Lung cancer at the age of twenty… That sounds outrageous, doesn't it?" Yzak inquired.

Before responding, the doctor took note of the look on both Yzak and Dearka's confused faces then shook her head. With Coordinators being immune to all kinds of deceases and such; somehow, the woman wasn't surprised why this was not general knowledge up in PLANTs.

"Yes, this is rather unfortunate. However, it is common knowledge on Earth that cancers of all kinds have become increasingly common to young adults as young as fifteen." The woman sighed, returning to the topic at hand. "Fortunately, Medical Science has also advanced over the years. Ms. Allster's condition is still at an early stage. She can be easily treated with the technologies we have now. There is nothing to worry about."

"Ms. Allster had undergone several test procedures today. She's probably tired. So it would be best to visit her one at a time. Now, will you excuse me, gentlemen. I still have other patients to check-up on." She said, taking out the same pen she had previously kept in her pocket, and graciously left their side.

Once the woman was gone, "Dearka." Yzak started, turning to face the blond at the bench, but, apparently, he didn't need to say more because Dearka already knew what he wanted to say and nodded once.

"You go first. Kaitlyn and I will follow suit later."

With that, Yzak nodded back, agreeing to this, and went on ahead.

00000

As the time crawled by, an empty glass, pills, and tissue papers littered the already cluttered side table of Flay's private room.

Trying to get some rest like the doctor had instructed, tired, Flay laid on her back but immediately sat up again. She pushed aside a pile of magazines, grabbing pieces of tissue and cleared her throat with them.

_And there he was. _That's what Flay thought when she saw Yzak enter the room.

"How are you feeling?" Yzak asked, striding across to the window that overlooked the parking area.

_A little scared. A few coughs here and there, though relatively fine._

"What did the doctor say?" Flay replied, watching him pull the curtains apart letting the sun in.

"Second stage. Lung cancer." He revealed straight to the point.

Flay felt her shoulders drop as the news registered. "Oh..." To be honest, she wasn't sure how to react. Was she supposed to be angry? Was she supposed to feel sad and cry? After having cheated death so many times... She concluded- this may finally be it for her. Her mother had passed away due to lung cancer. And although her father did it only in seclude places, and have controlled the habit to a bear minimum, especially after her mom had died, George Allster did smoke and so did his father before him, or at least that was she was told once upon a time.

With a generic makeup like hers, plus the inevitable exposure to passive and third-hand smoke on a regular basis. She was bound to have an increase risk to lung deceases one way or another. This was probably what people call- fated?

Flay shook her head and smiled to herself. Even if this was the case, she could never blame her mom and dad for her illness. She could never blame them for anything.

Yzak appear to be saying something at the moment, but she had failed to listen to anything he was sharing.

"You know... my mom died of lung cancer." She interrupted him.

Yzak stopped talking for awhile then frowned instantly at this; though, Flay was sure it wasn't because she had interrupted him.

"Haven't you been listening to me? That happened a long time ago. Times have changed. You are not going to die."

_Then why does it feel like she was going to?..._

Without another word, Yzak strode to her bedside and sat there next to her while she stared out the window. And that was when she began to think.

"Yzak, let's not get married." She suggested.

He stared at her. His gaze locked on hers; no longer warm but stunned, rich blue. She shrugged it away.

"So you're giving up just like that..." He didn't sound thrilled. _Well, not yet anyway. _

_And no, it's not like she was giving up. _Flay contradicted Yzak in her head. She just realized she had more important things to take care of than marry him when she hadn't done anything commendable for a very long time.

_Why were they getting married anyway?_ She and Yzak. They hadn't yet shared many close moments. They had only kissed once, if what happened the other night could even be counted as an official kiss. They hadn't spent many moments alone, or had any real romantic dating history, yet Yzak insisted on marrying her. It made little sense. There really was no reason for them to get married.

Very deliberately, Flay sighed. _It may not look like it now, but this decision would be the best for all of them._

"Please, stop acting like you care. I give in…" She said, looking down on her hands on top of baby blue sheets. "You can stop pretending to care about me now. I know about the adoption papers, Yzak. I have always known." She finally admitted, letting out another sigh.

And actually, Flay was a little bit surprise that Yzak didn't interrupt her, deny the claim or even try to defend himself, giving her the chance to continue.

"The man at the agency came to me a few days after you inquired. He wanted to know whether you were bothering me or anything near that sort... You could say he didn't trust Coordinators." She shared with laughed, though it came out sounding more nervous than light.

Yzak's frown deepened.

She didn't look at him. She couldn't. Her knees buckled and she continued to look at her hands.

"Don't worry. I'll sign the papers." Flay stretched her lips into the resemblance of a reassuring smile despite the anxiety that she was feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I believe I can entrust Kaitlyn to you so, please, take good care of her... I have decided." Flay breathed in. "that once you have taken Kaitlyn safely to PLANTs that I would help the Foreign Minister promote international peace. I believe I can give it a try, knowing Kaitlyn is far from harms way." She told him, looking out the window again. "To be honest, all of these didn't bear thinking about at first. But now that I'm sick, it changes everything."

And after what seemed like for the longest of time,

"What are you talking about?"

Yzak cringed. He bent forward causing the mattress beneath them to shift and then he took her hand in between his, giving her hand a tight yet _undeniably_ comfortable squeeze.

"This doesn't change a thing! We are getting married! You are going to be fine! We will fight through this illness together!"

Flay froze, but she still wasn't facing him. For a fraction of a second, her heart just seemed to beat a little faster, and a small tingle shot up her arm. She slowly turned her head to Yzak, still a bit surprised at her own reaction. Yzak had touched more personal places before, but it felt totally different now. It felt much more... bare, like he wasn't holding onto her hand, instead, on something inside her that she... didn't want touched.

"Because I love you! ... Be strong for me! Do it for Kaitlyn!"

The door cracked open as Dearka entered the room with her and Yzak's baby girl.

Flay closed her eyes and opened them again; she felt like crying then and looked at Yzak through the warm, blurry brightness of hope.

Because it was right then she knew, right now, she would follow him anywhere.

****End

* * *

**

**A/N: **Ah. Well, that's it.

(Ahem.) Seeing how little YxF fanfics exist, of course killing Flay off still isn't an option. :)

After 2 long years, we have finally reached the final chapter of **REDEMPTION: To Be Family. **Thank you everyone for sticking around until the end. Love you, all.

Now that we have come this far… Don't be shy now and leave **reviews**, **comments**, **questions** or any **violent reactions** on the review page.

Fire away!

I'm done.

* * *

**1. **

**Q: "Wait! What of Kira, Lacus and the others?" **

**A:** Fortunately and unfortunately, I may be planning to write a sequel. "Maybe". Because I'm feeling rather lazy lately.

**2. **

**Q: Why did Flay go out of her ways to take care of a sick Yzak when they're not even friendly to begin with?**

**A:** It's more of an reciprocating act from Flay since Yzak comforted her during father's day. Actually, all the nice things Flay did were a reciprocating act from Yzak's. Call it a returning favor.

Examples:

Flay allowed Yzak to spend the rest of Father's day with Kaitlyn because, obvious or not, he took her riding to lessen her worries.

Because Yzak comforted her when she had needed it, Flay returned the favor by taking care of him when he had fallen ill.

At the park, Flay smiled at Yzak for looking out for Kaitlyn.

**3.**

**Q: Flay's influence would match that of Lacus' in PLANTS? Never saw that coming, but I really like the idea! It seems rather plausible as well.**

**A:** Actually, it was a comparison of Flay to not only Lacus but to Cagalli(indirectly) as well. Their fathers were high ranking Politicians. All three girls were daddies' girl; all three lost their fathers in war; and all three found comfort(although different by means) from Kira after they had lost their fathers. I merely placed Lacus' name into light just because Yzak would be more concerned about her and PLANTs than of Orb. Furthermore, I wanted to illustrate why- when the Archangel made it to Alaska, Flay was one of the three soldiers who was thought to be important enough to be transferred away from the death trap Atlantic Federation had set up (GS). :)

**4.**

**Q: Hello. I have read your story, and although interesting, it seems to lack a realistic quality.** Many rape victims are traumatized permanently by the experience, and would likely react rather drastically if the rapist showed up again. Flay doesn't seem to care much that she was defiled and humiliated in that way, and neither does Yzak's friends and family. I doubt that Dearka, who is a nice person behind the attitude, would just accept that Yzak had done that. Much less Ezaria, who is a woman. Studies show that women tend to side more with victims, especially in cases such as this. If I were the mother of a rapist, I would likely feel ashamed, furious, and more importantly, not in the mood to so much as look my son in the eye.

This would have been much better had you made the two characters have a one night stand or something to that measure. You have a talent for writing, but the background of this story seems to clash with the character's reactions.

**A:** Uhh... Well, I'm sorry if the characters doesn't seem realistic enough. Fortunately, this is fiction, but uhh... that's just an excuse.

**Why not a one night stand?**

There is actually a perfectly good explanation why I didn't turn it into a one night stand.

One, I didn't want to portray Flay as someone who sleeps around (because she doesn't). Just because she did it with Kira once doesn't mean she'll sleep with anyone.

Two, I didn't want Flay and Yzak to have a mutual relationship to begin with. The whole idea of this story was to give Yzak and Flay a do over.

And three, I wanted to portray the concept that war can turn anyone crazy or could bring about change in personality. (That the Flay Allster[or any other character] you meet in war is not entirely the same person he/she is in everyday life.)

**On rape victims:**

I know 'rape' is a very sensitive issue. So I understand where you are coming from. I do, really. And I assure you that I did my research on the topic before I started writing this fic. So the situation is not exactly as unrealistic as you think it to be. Scientific studies may have some truth in them, but not all are accurate, especially when it comes to surveys. We can't exactly chart how every individual would behave when faced with a certain situation as everyone thinks, feels, acts, and sees quite differently.

There are circumstances to think about like- the benefits and the losses, the culture, the event, the relationships, one's reputation etc... Believe me, not all women sides with the victim.

But lets not get sidetracked here.

Time heals all wound. Not only the physical scars, but the emotional scars disappear eventually. (And I'm not saying this just for the heck of it.) It is possible to overcome the horrible experience, not easy, but possible (how- is different for everyone for different reason).

In Flay's case—I skipped over that long intense grueling healing process. 4 years to be exact. (Why? because this is not what the fic is about. Redemption is not exactly a Flay Survival story even though I revived her.)

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny or any of its characters.

How Flay had survived. How she violently reacted or how she found the strength to move on with her life after the damages is unstated. (I'll leave you guys to imagine that.) What we do know is that there is that 4 years span. And Kaitlyn, (CE 75) has become Flay's important person (or at least one of them.)

Flay meets Yzak again - It's not like the two of them went Woohoo! Let's hook up. Just because Flay did not react drastically upon seeing Yzak, doesn't mean she didn't care. (Have you ever felt so tired of an issue that sometimes you just want to wash your hands of it?)

Dearka's reaction - Well… Yzak admitted he screwed up and Flay, more or less, appeared to him like she was moving on. Dearka might start looking at Yzak a little differently because of what he did, but in the end, he is still his best friend. What good is it to reopen old wounds? More importantly, wounds that aren't even his to begin with? (That would be like- Athrun reminding Kira that he killed Nicol everyday; or the other way around with Tolle.)

Ezalia's reaction - Take note. Ezalia went to Flay first before talking to Yzak. And as far as the story goes, their talk went well (as Flay, the one who was assaulted, no longer blames Yzak for what he'd done); giving Ezalia(a third party) no reason to be hard on her son. Alternatively, If Flay had breakdown in front of the woman and acted like a victim at that time then it probably would have been an entirely different situation, though I see Ezalia as the type who would put Yzak above all else. This includes herself.

"Life is impossible without trials, but without forgiveness no one will be able to live on."

No Stockholm and Lima Syndrome or Bodice Ripper, please.

**5.**

**Q: When did Yzak rape Flay? She was captured by Le Creuset on May 8th and was turned over to the Dominion on July 12th then was supposedly killed on September 27th.** It can take up to seven days after intercourse for a sperm to reach and fertilize an egg. which means that Flay was anywhere from two months to almost five months pregnant. How much did she show and when did she start to show? When did she find out that she was with child? I know that some women don't always look pregnant. So did she start to show and if she did when did she? Did she just not have her period for a long time and decide to go to the doctor? Or was she examined after she was found alive and it was then that they discovered a little life growing inside of her? What was her reaction? What triggered Yzak to rape her? Was it after a battle? Where did he rape her that no one caught him? Did he drag her somewhere or did he just happen upon her in a deserted room? Did he even try to avoid getting caught?

When was Kaitlyn born? It normally takes 38 to 40 weeks.

How is Shiho gonna react to learning that her beloved commander has a daughter? How will his subordinates react? How will Kira and the others react to learning that Flay is alive and raising a child on her own? Will they find out how Kaitlyn was conceived and if so what will they do or try to do to Yzak?

How will Yzak react to learning that Flay is sick? What does she have? How will Ezalia react? I don't suppose you could bring Stella(r) back because the whole Shinn/Luna pairing makes no sense at all. Why that had to be written into the cannon, I will probably never be able to understand except that the writer must be a racist.

Could you please get a beta writer and correct all your spelling and grammar mistakes? It is a bit painful to see them glaring out at me, and it makes it a little difficult to read and understand at times.

**A: **Honestly, Honestly... I hadn't expected anyone would be so hyped up about a YzakxFlay story furthermore a story that I have written so I really don't know whether to be flattered or be pressured by all these questions.

**What happened:**

Okay, since I am not planning to write a prequel, I haven't gone to the trouble of really plotting out the details so let's just assume Flay had been 2-4 months pregnant. By that time, she would be barely showing.

About Flay's regular menstrual cycle... She would have noticed the delay but noting her position and condition in ZAFT- she would have been either too scared to speak up and go see the doctors or/and too distraught to even consider the idea that she was pregnant.

Flay only found out that she was carrying a child after she had been found and examined. You could say she went ballistic after that. She hated herself; hated the father; hated the world; hated the life that was growing inside of her and went as far as hurt herself to kill the unborn child. (Now that I think about it, I can actually imagine Flay still attempting to take Kaitlyn's life even after a year from giving birth.)

Flay was a mess for a long time.

It was the Foreign Minister who convinced Flay not to blame herself or the baby and grant the little one a chance of life.

Kaitlyn was born normally.

Flay had the option of raising the girl or placing her for adoption. Obviously, Flay had decided to raise Kaitlyn and she grew to love her.

**How Yzak forced her:**

(Errr... I've thrown a couple hints in the actual story about this.)

War can take a toll on a person (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). A guy can only take so much after watching everyone else including his friends and comrades around him die one after another. So basically, Yzak wasn't quite in his right mind when it had happened.

One day, Flay sort of accidentally set him off.

Neither Yzak or Flay talks of what happened. Both were too ashamed.

"It was simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time" with the wrong mindset.

**Setting: **

Uhh. Flay's cabin. (no dragging necessary.)

**People's reaction and so forth:**

Spoiler alert.

**About racist:**

I've noticed.

**Get a Beta: **

Sorry about that. I know my grammar is pretty bad... I just hadn't thought it would glare so much to the point of painful. I'll see what I can do.

**6.**

**Q: How can Flay's friends be nice to Yzak after knowing what he did?**

**A:** The thing is... even until the end of the story, no one other than Yzak, Flay, Dearka, Ezalia, and the Foreign Minister knows that Kaitlyn is a result of rape. Flay's friends believe Yzak and Flay had a one night stand.

Because "some things are better left unsaid."


End file.
